Father Of Mine
by MewPainappuru
Summary: Syndrome's death has a terrible effect on a certain someone who has been kept a secret from the world, his daughter. After she is older and learns of his demise, she is out for vengence and she's going after the Incredible family.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello readers! I just want to point out that The Incredibles is my absolute favorite movie in the whole world, so I'm really excited and nervous to be writing this fanfiction. Hopefully it turns out as wonderful as I imagine it. This story is set right after Syndrome is sucked into the plane engine. **_Please review. Let me know what you like and what I can fix. I live to please! The sooner you review, the sooner I update!_****_

_****_Discaimer: I don't own The Incredibles! All characters (apart from a few original characters needed for plot purposes) belong to Brad Bird, Disney/Pixar, and all those lovely people._****_

One

"Where Daddy?" the little girl asked, reaching her arms up to her mother, asking to be picked up. When she was ignored, she tugged on the woman's skirt, whimpering.

"Enough Kyler," her mother replied in an unnaturally harsh voice. Her green eyes flashed with anger, making the small child cry out in fear and release her skirt. The woman sighed and dropped into a soft chair, rubbing her temples. Her heart was beating furiously and she was having breathing difficulties. "Shut up Kyler!" she yelled at her crying daughter. The little girl's wailing was making her head hurt more than it already did.

Kyler sniffled until she was able to quiet herself. She didn't understand why her mom was so angry with her, but it scared her. Her mommy was never angry. Her daddy was angry a lot, but never her mommy. She decided to apologize for making her mother so angry, so she shyly walked over to her and hugged the woman's thin legs. "I sowwy Mommy," she whispered.

Mirage looked down at her daughter and sighed. It was unfair for her to take her frustrations out on Kyler. It certainly wasn't her fault and she was only five years old, much too young to understand what was going on. She stroked the little girl's soft golden hair and gave her a reassuring smile. "It's alright sweetie. You don't need to be sorry." She lifted Kyler up and sat the girl in her lap, snuggling her to her chest. "Mommy is sorry that she yelled at you."

Kyler reached up and rested a small hand on her mother's soft cheek. "Mommy, please don't be sad." She innocently smiled and her large blue eyes stared at her hopefully. Mirage kissed the child's forehead, emitting a giggle from Kyler. "Happy now?" she asked.

"Yes darling," Mirage replied with a smile. It was forced, of course, but she knew Kyler would never be able to tell the difference. As long as she saw her mother smiling, the little girl was happy too. "It's getting late though, my dear. I think it's time for you to go to bed."

Kyler pouted, but she did not cry. She slid off of her mother's lap and walked across the room to pick up her favorite stuffed monkey. "Tuck me in Mommy?" she asked, cocking her head to the side and smiling.

"Of course," Mirage replied. She stood up and took one of Kyler's hands in her own. They walked, hand in hand, to Kyler's bedroom. The room had tons of brightly colored toys and books for Kyler to occupy her time with. Her room was furnished with a beautiful wooden dresser, tons of comfy chairs and a little couch, and a canopy bed that Kyler insisted was made for a princess. Her walls were painted a pretty lavender color while her carpet and curtains were hot pink. It was Kyler's dream room and Mirage was pleased that she could provide so much for her daughter.

When Kyler was comfortably tucked into bed, she turned to her mother and asked in a soft voice, "No Daddy?"

Mirage sighed, a waved of emotion slamming into her, but she kept her composure for her daughter's sake. "No honey, no Daddy tonight. He… he is very busy and will not be back until later. I'm sorry."

Kyler frowned, but she didn't cry. She nodded her head sadly and said, "I miss Daddy." Then she smiled at her mother, happy that she at least had one parent there. "I love you Mommy," she said. "Sweet dreams."

Mirage kissed the little girl's cheek. "Goodnight honey," she whispered. "Sweet dreams." She left the child's bedside and went to the door. She flipped off the bedroom light and gently pulled the door closed. As soon as it was shut, she raced down the hallway and into her own bedroom, tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't hold it in any longer. She inelegantly threw herself onto her bed and sobbed into one of her soft feather pillows. She was crying so hard that her head started to ache and she was beginning to feel nauseous. She tried to calm herself down by taking deep breaths, but it wasn't helping much. Her whole body was shaking and she couldn't stop the flood of tears running down her face.

Mirage pulled the silk sheet over her body, wrapping it tightly around her. She tried to envision that it was a strong pair of arm, holding and comforting her. She desperately attempted to hear a soothing voice whispering words of reassurance into her ear. She imagined the soft caress of a hand on her cheek, relaxing and consoling her. But, in the back of her mind, a voice was screaming a reminder that she was never going to experience such pleasures and comforts ever again. She was going to be alone, minus Kyler. She was going to have to struggle to support herself again.

Mirage never imagined that she would miss him so much or be so affected by his absence in her life. But the pain she was experiencing was unlike anything she had ever known; it was unbearable. He had put her through so much anguish, but he had always meant the world to her. He was the other half of her heart, despite all the difficulty they had been through. She knew she wasn't going to be able to look at Kyler without breaking down for a while. She looked so much like him, it was uncanny. But Mirage loved Kyler with all her heart and, so, she was going to try her hardest to stay strong for the little girl.

"How am I going to tell her that her father is dead…?" Mirage thought out loud. She was so afraid of how Kyler would react. A fresh wave of tears pooled in her eyes and she hugged a pillow close to her chest. "Oh Buddy…" she whispered into the pillow. "Why couldn't you just leave the past alone? Why did you have to hold so tight to that grudge? Why did you abandon me? And Kyler… How could you leave our daughter? Why…?"

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!**_

_**Mew Painappuru**_


	2. Chapter 2

**_Thank you to everyone who reviewed! KJ4, you're assumption would be correct. I hope that you found the last chapter interesting enough to continue reading! Wolvie'sBiggestFan, it's sad isn't it? But what's it going to lead to...? Thank you for reading! princessmiddleast, thank for showing your support for yet another one of my stories! You're amazing! _**

Two

_Fifteen years later_

"Bob!" Helen called out to her husband, who was watching the football game with his son and best friend. When she didn't receive a response, she sighed and walked into the living room. The men were focused on the television, watching with such seriousness it was almost spooky. "Bob," she said again.

"Yeah?" Bob replied, not even looking up at her as he spoke. His eyes stayed glued to the action on the screen.

"I thought you were going to pick up Jack-Jack and Lyra," she said, trying not to let her annoyance show. She placed her hands on her hips and stared at Bob, who had yet to make eye contact with her.

"I will. He doesn't need to be picked up for another hour. I've got time." He brought a can of beer up to his lips and took a huge gulp. "Aw come on!" he yelled, throwing his hands in the air and spilling some of his beer on the carpet. "Are you kidding me?"

Helen glanced at the clock and sighed. "Bob, you need to pick up Jack-Jack and Lyra _now_. Violet and Tony are going to be here in half an hour." When he didn't respond, Helen stretched her arm out and pressed the power button on the T.V.

"Hey!" the three men yelled.

"Aw Helen, come on," Lucius said with humor in his voice. "Just because Bob is being an ass doesn't mean you have to punish all of us."

"Yeah Mom," Dash agreed. "Come on! Turn the game back on."

"Bob, please go pick up Jack-Jack," Helen said, ignoring the other two. Bob simply nodded, asked Dash to fill him in when he got back, and shuffled out of the living room. Helen smiled at Dash and Lucius, turned the T.V. back on and said, "Enjoy the game boys." Then she walked back into the kitchen to finish cooking dinner.

As Helen had expected, Violet and Tony had arrived about half an hour later. By then, Jack-Jack, his girlfriend, Lyra, and Bob had already returned. Lyra, who was a huge football fan as well, was sitting with the men in the living room and they were all riveted by the football game. Helen hugged Tony first when they arrived so that he could join the other men in the living room. Then she pulled her daughter into her arms and gave her a tight squeeze.

"It's so nice to be home," Violet said looking around, taking in memories from her earlier years. "I've missed you so much Mom." Being married to Tony, Violet had her own life to tend to and didn't see her parents or her brothers much. However, today she and Tony had come over to celebrate Jack-Jack's sixteenth birthday. Violet took her mother's hand and pulled her into the kitchen. "I have some wonderful news for you Mom. But you can't tell Dad or the boys just yet. Do you promise?"

Helen stared at Violet with confusion. What could Violet possibly tell her that no one else was allowed to know? "Of course I promise Vi, but what is it? Are you in some kind of trouble? Do you need money? Is everything between you and Tony alright?"

Violet giggled at her mother's anxiety. "It's alright Mom, please don't worry. I just… I just want you to know first and then I will tell everyone else later, when I'm ready."

Helen nodded. "Alright then, honey. What is it?" Violet leaned closer and whispered into Helen's ear. Helen's eyes widened and tears sprung to her eyes. "Violet… Are you… Are you sure?" When Violet nodded with a small smile, Helen pulled her into a hug and had to suppress her urge to scream. Helen finally released Violet when she felt like she was calm again.

"Do you need any help with dinner?" Violet asked, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, an embarrassed habit she'd had her whole life.

Helen grinned. "I would love some help with dinner." The two women headed into the kitchen and got to work. "Did Dash tell you about his friend that will be joining us today?" Helen asked as she cut pieces of celery.

"Dash has friends?" Violet joked.

"Hey! I heard that!" Dash yelled from the living room. "I happen to have lots of friends!"

Helen rolled her eyes. "Dash has been dating a very nice young lady for about three weeks now and he asked her to join us for Jack-Jack's birthday tonight. She's a very sweet girl and I think Dash really likes her."

"Well, good for Dash. Maybe he's finally found someone who can keep him in line." She dug through a drawer, trying to find a good mixing spoon. She laughed and then said, "I joke of course Mom. I really am happy for Dash and I can't wait to meet the girl. What's her name?"

Just then, the doorbell rang. Helen rushed to answer it and then yelled out, "Well! Speak of the devil! We were just talking about you. Please come inside." Helen returned to the kitchen with a young woman who had gold hair down to her waist and neon blue eyes. Freckles dotted her face and she had a sweet smile. "Violet, this is Dash's girlfriend, Kyler. Kyler, this is my daughter Violet."

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!**_

_**Mew Painappuru**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Wolvie'sBiggestFan, I love cliffhangers so there will probably be a lot more of them. And I try to make them longer as the story goes on, but they do look longer on my program then they do on the website, so I'm sorry for that. princessmiddleast, Yes, the girl is Kyler. The story fastforwards to fifteen years in the future. Sorry for the confusion. I hope the story gets better. KJ4, I'm actually considering a few dark possibilities for this story, but we'll see how it plays out. Hope you continue to read and enjoy! **_

Three

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Kyler said as she offered her hand to the dark haired woman. Violet shook her hand and smiled at her. Kyler forced herself to keep smiling and Violet began a speech about how happy she was that they were meeting and so on. Kyler nodded and laughed at the appropriate times, but didn't really care about what she was saying. She had to bite her lip to hold back a sigh of relief when Dash finally came into the room.

"Hey Ky," he said, planting a kiss on her cheek and wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Hello Dash," she replied, smiling at him. "I was just meeting your sister. She's so sweet!" Kyler noticed Violet blush and had to remind herself not to roll her eyes.

"Violet? Sweet? Are you feeling alright?" Dash asked, putting the back of his hand against her forehead. "Oh… Kyler, you feel a little warm. Maybe you should go lie down."

Kyler put her arms around Dash's neck and whispered, "Only if you'll come lay down with me."

Dash opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Helen yelling, "Alright! Alright! That's enough… Dash…" she sighed, but had an amused smirk on her face. "Why don't you go take Kyler into the living room? Introduce her to Tony and Lucius. Make yourself useful."

Dash chuckled and took Kyler's hand. "Come on, babe," he said, pulling her into the living room. He introduced Kyler to Tony and Lucius, as his mother had asked, and then sat back down on the couch, with Kyler on his lap, to finish watching the game. Soon, it was time for dinner. Everyone gathered around the family's large dining room table and sat down. Violet and Helen brought out the food, which looked and smelled delicious. There was a chorus of thank yous to Helen and Violet for cooking before everyone starting eating.

Kyler took this time to survey the people around her; the family of supers known as "The Incredibles". Minus Lucius and Lyra, Kyler had been waiting to meet these people since she was about eight years old. She had heard so many stories about them when she was little. They were heroes. Or… At least they were to most people. Kyler took a deep breath. She had to play it cool. She couldn't let her face betray what her mind was thinking. That would ruin everything.

She looked to the left of her and studied the youngest child of the family. His mother called him Jack-Jack, but he asked his friends to just call him J.J. Imperiled citizens knew him as The Devil. For one with such a menacing name, J.J. was a very calm person and, in Kyler's opinion, the sweetest member of the Parr family. He was holding one of Lyra's hands, even though they were at the table, and, when they had been watching the game, would occasionally glance away from the T.V. screen and sneak a look at her. Kyler couldn't help but find him adorable because he wasn't the cliché sixteen year old boyfriend. He was actually caring and she could tell that Lyra meant a lot to him.

Next to J.J. was Lyra, but beyond her was Bob, otherwise known as Mr. Incredible. The name he had given himself had always annoyed Kyler. The fact that he used to have such an ego that he wanted to constantly be called incredible made her sick. Now, he was just a fat old man in his fifties. His hair was not only graying, but balding as well. He didn't seem so incredible anymore. Although he still had his strength, he wasn't as fast and fit as he used to be and so he wasn't seen in the field as much anymore. He left most of the work up to his children. He only fought if he was desperately needed. Kyler felt like laughing at the old man, but she kept herself under control.

Beside Bob, of course, was Helen. Like her husband, Helen's days as a Super were diminishing. She was getting old as well, as seen by her graying hair and the wrinkles on her face. Kyler had been a fan of Elastigirl as a child. If it wasn't for the fact that she was married to "Mr. Incredible", she would be Kyler's idol. Helen was starting to look a bit frail as she got older and Kyler wondered if her body could stretch out as much it did in her prime. Kyler almost felt sorry for her. Almost…

Next to Helen was Lucius and next to him was Violet. Violet had taken up the name Lady Invisible, which was another name that made Kyler roll her eyes whenever she heard it. Was no one in this family creative enough to come up with an original name that no one would ever think of? Violet was generally quiet and didn't really speak unless spoken to. She seemed a bit too shy to be very affectionate with Tony in front of the family, unlike Dash and Kyler. Whenever Tony would mention something about Violet that he found charming, she would blush and play with her long black hair. Violet was the family's oldest child and was, if Kyler's calculations were correct, about thirty years old. She was the same age Kyler's father was when he died… Kyler took a deep breath and shook those thoughts from her head. Her father was the last person she needed to think about right now.

Naturally, next to Violet was Tony. And next to Tony was Dash. Kyler found Dash amusing and loved spending time with him because he made her laugh. They had only known each other for a little while, but she enjoyed his company. She couldn't help but hate the fact that he was part of the Parr family. If he had been born to any other family, the two of them would be perfect together. But, then again, if he had been born to any other family, she probably never would have met him. Dash had decided that he wanted his Super name to be The Dash, which made Kyler giggle. He had told her that he didn't care if people knew what his "secret identity" was. Kyler wasn't sure if she found that brave or reckless of him.

Kyler couldn't help but feel the slightest bit guilty that she had allowed the family to get so attached to her. She was only going to hurt them in the end and they had no idea. But thinking about the Parr family's fondness for her didn't change her mind. She had given herself a mission since the day she had found out the reason for her father's death, and she wasn't backing down now. She couldn't let herself grow soft. That would get her nowhere.

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!**_

_**Mew Painappuru**_


	4. Chapter 4

**_Samtastic, I know exactly what you mean! I love that most villains seem to have that thought process as well. KJ4, I'm so happy that you actually like Kyler! I think she's an interesting character and I love writing about her. nightmaster000, We should be learning the answer to that question very soon! princessmiddleast, Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it. Wolvie'sBiggestFan, Yes I did! And look! I've gone and done it again! Hahaha enjoy! :)_**

Four

Kyler had sat patiently through dinner while the family discussed what was new in everyone's lives and upcoming plans. She sang "Happy Birthday" to J.J. with a smile on her face. When Lyra left, she gave the teen girl a hug goodbye. When Lucius left, she shook his hand and assured him that it was a pleasure to meet him. Soon, it was only the Parr family and Tony left. Kyler knew that there was no getting rid of Tony without getting rid of Violet as well, so she was going to have to work around that minor obstacle. She was finally ready to execute the plan that she had been designing since she was twelve years old. Since she had found out about why her father never came home again…

"_You already know why your father won't be coming home anymore Kyler!" her mother shouted, throwing her hands in the air. "I told you years ago! He's dead, alright?" The silver haired woman had tears in her bright green eyes. _

"_I know that, Mom! But _why_ is he dead?" Kyler pushed. At twelve years old, she felt like she deserved an explanation. She was a big girl now and she knew she could handle it. She deserved an explanation. "People don't just die, Mom. There's always an explanation. How did he die? Was he sick? Was he in an accident? I want to know! You can't keep the truth from me forever! And you know that sooner or later, I'm going to find out. And if you try to hide what happened from me, I'm only going to hate you for it. Wouldn't you rather I find out from you rather than someone else? Please Mom… Just tell me…"_

_Her mother sighed, defeated and sad. She knew that there was no way she was going to be able to change the subject this time. She took Kyler's hand and led her to the living room. The two of them sat down on a small leather couch, facing each other. Mirage refused to let go of her daughter's hands, for they gave her some sort of comfort she couldn't explain. "Honey… This isn't going to be easy for me, so I need you to bear with me, alright?"_

_Kyler nodded her head. She didn't expect her mother to be able to tell such a story with a smile. "I understand, Mom. It's alright. Take your time."_

_Mirage smiled at Kyler's maturity. "Thank you. Now, let's see… Well, I met Buddy, your father, when I was seventeen. I was looking for a job and he was hiring. He said that he needed an assistant. I was just looking for easy work that would give me money for the things I needed in my senior year of high school. He hired me without hesitation. It's not like he was looking for experience or anything. He just wanted someone who would do what they were told without asking any questions. And, I'm not going to lie, I found him quite… charming. Something about him intrigued me and so I would have done anything he asked me without hesitation. " _

_Mirage chuckled and brushed a strand of pale hair behind her ear. "So I started working for him. I filled out paperwork, scheduled meetings, and researched topics given to me. It never occurred to me how strange it was that he was so fascinated with Supers. Most of his work revolved around Supers, their lives before and after they went into hiding, and so on. I just figured that he was a researcher of some sort or that he was a writing a book. I don't know. I was young and I didn't really care about anything at the time. I just did as I was told. _

"_But the more that I worked for and with him, the more I saw him, and the more I became infatuated with him. And I didn't hide it either. I openly flirted with him. At first, he didn't seem to pick up on it, but eventually, I got through to him. And before I knew it, he was flirting back. And… Well, this is kind of embarrassing to talk about." She blushed deeply and smiled nervously. "But one thing led to another… And, I'm sure you can imagine where this is going. Eventually I got pregnant." _

_She stroked Kyler's hand lovingly. "At first, your father was very upset about it. I was so young, only eighteen. I had gotten kicked out of my house and my parents wanted nothing to do with me. I stayed with Buddy and continued to work for him. But he felt like he had ruined my life and was very distant up until you were actually born. As soon as I went into labor, he rushed to my side and apologized for being stupid and promised he would be there for me. And he was."_

_She giggled, thinking about the man she had fallen so hard for. "It's kind of funny actually because nobody would ever pin Buddy as a compassionate person. He always seemed so full of hate and anger because of his past and the grudges he held, but when he really wanted to be, he was kind and caring. And after you were born, I saw a whole new side to him. He really loved you Kyler. I promise. I wouldn't lie to you about something like that. His face would light up every time he held you. When he thought I wasn't around, he would try to get you to say 'Dada' as your first words. You were so special to him."_

_She smiled at the thought of her late love with their infant daughter in his arms and wiped a tear from her eyes. "Once you were a few months old, we got back to work and we hired a nanny to care for you while we were busy. I was still doing a lot of research on well-known Supers, but your father was looking into weaponry. I knew beforehand that he was very skilled with technology, but I had never thought that he would be interested in artillery. Then, he started building different weapons. I was nervous at first, but he begged me to trust him and he promised that nothing he worked with would ever come near you. So, I believed him._

"_He spent years working on this project of his. It wasn't completed until you were about four years old, almost five. That's when he finally told me what the point of all our research and hard work was. He explained that he had been tossed to the side by his idol, a Super named Mr. Incredible. As a young boy, Buddy had begged Mr. Incredible to allow him to act as the man's sidekick. But Mr. Incredible had insisted on working alone and treated Buddy like he was no one. Buddy was heartbroken. He was only looking for acceptance from his hero because he wasn't even accepted at home. His parents treated him like he didn't even exist. Your father continued to hold on to that grudge against the one person he had looked up to him. It filled his heart with anger and hatred and he wanted to prove to Mr. Incredible that he had made a mistake by casting him off to the side. _

"_Well, they finally met again. It was Mr. Incredible versus Syndrome. Syndrome, that's the name your father had created for himself, by the way. Anyway, it was a terrible battle, Super against human, powers against technology. Then, it wasn't just Mr. Incredible. His family joined him in fighting. His wife, his daughter, and his son… They all jumped in and stood up again Syndrome. Just when it seemed that your father might get away, there was a tragic accident." Mirage's voice started to shake and her tears started to slip faster down her cheeks. "Your father's need for recognition ending up destroying him…" She wiped her face furiously, trying to rid herself of all her tears. _

"_Well, there you have it," she said with a sad sigh. "That is what happened to your father. I wish you could have known him better, Kyler. He truly was a wonderful man…"_

Kyler was never going to know what a "wonderful man" her father would have been because of the family of Supers surrounding her. Her father's personality was hers as well, which explained her current situation. She was holding onto a grudge as well, but she was prepared to take on the whole family, unlike him. She was going to win, unlike him. She was not going to let his death be in vain.

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!**_

_**Mew Painappuru**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**nightmaster000, thank you for your support! And you'll soon find out what Kyler has in store for our family of heros...**_

Five

Kyler slipped away from the family while everyone was discussing their plans for the next few days. She walked down the hallway, keeping the lights off so that no one would notice her and question what she was doing. Halfway down the hall, she pressed her back against the cool wall and sighed. She was finally ready to carry out her plan and her nerves were getting the better of her. She was terrified of failure and she would never be able to live with herself if she messed up. She ran her fingers through her long hair, a nervous tick that she had picked up from her mother at a young age, and then continued down the hall until she found the bathroom. She then reached into her purse and pulled out a small, plastic box. Opening it, she found a purple pill waiting for her. She filled a paper cup up with water and then swallowed the pill with a shudder. When she turned to leave the bathroom, she ran into someone, which startled her and caused her to let out a soft squeak of surprise.

"Hey, what are you doing over here?" Dash asked, putting his hands on her shoulder and smiling at her impishly. "You're not hiding from us are you?"

"W… What?" Kyler replied, getting nervous for a moment. "Why… Why would I be hiding from you?"

"Well, I know my family can be a bit overwhelming sometimes. I would understand if you needed a break from them or something."

"No… No, it's nothing like that," Kyler assured him, hoping that he would leave soon so she could get back to what she was doing.

Dash chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. "Well then, perhaps you were looking for a little alone time then?" he murmured, burying his face into her soft hair. He inhaled, taking in the scent of vanilla and brown sugar then kissed her cheek. "I'm all for time together too, so let me show you a much better place," he whispered suggestively.

Kyler's heart was racing. She was wasting time! She needed to get rid of Dash so she could finish carrying out her plan. She looked around her, desperately trying to think of a solution. Her eyes landed on an old photograph of the family. J.J. must have been about five years old, leaving Dash to be about fourteen, and Violet to be about nineteen. Kyler reached her arms up and pulled the picture off the wall.

"What are you doing?" Dash asked with a chuckle, finding her behavior strange, but funny and cute.

"I'm sorry, Dash," Kyler whispered and she slammed the picture down on Dash's head.

Dash stumbled backwards, letting out a string of curses under his breath. Just as he was about to look up and say something to her, Kyler's fist collided with the side of his face. Dash dropped to the ground, unconscious. Kyler, who had never hit anyone that hard before, dropped to her knees before him and positioned her hand under his nose. When she was satisfied that he was still breathing, she wiped a few tears from her eyes and then stood up. She didn't have much time left to do what she needed to do. She was sure the family had either heard the commotion or would soon be wondering where her and Dash had disappeared to. She didn't want them to come looking for her too.

Kyler reached into her purse once again and pulled out a small box of matches. With shaky hands, she slid the box open and removed one of the matches. Just as she was about to strike it, she heard someone scoot their chair backwards from the other room.

"Dash? Kyler?" Helen's voice rang out. "Is everything alright over there?" Kyler heard J.J. mumble a comment that made the men in the room laugh. "I don't know," Helen said uneasily. "I thought I heard a crash a little bit ago." The men only laughed harder at that. Helen's heels clicked against the floor as she started coming closer to the hallway.

"Shit!" Kyler cried out. She hated being rushed for time. She pulled the match across the side of the striker on the side of the box. The match lit, but quickly went out. "Damn it!" Kyler said, her hands now shaking even more.

"Kyler?" Helen's voice sounded. "Is that you?"

Kyler quickly pulled out a second match, praying that it would work this time. _I'm doing this for you Dad. Please let this work. Help me, Daddy… _ She swiftly pulled the match across the striker and watched it light. Through the glow of the small flame, she could see Helen's face at the end of the hallway. The older woman looked confused and slightly frightened. Kyler couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. But there was no way she was turning back.

Never allowing her eyes to leave Helen's, Kyler held the match up to the ceiling, next to the sprinkler system inside the house. Suddenly, the house filled with the sound of the fire alarm and the sprinklers activated. Kyler quickly ran from the hallway, pushing Helen out of her way as she went past. When she reached the living room, she looked behind her to see if the woman had followed, but she didn't. Instead, Helen was lying on the hallway floor, not far from her son, eyes closed. Kyler then moved to the dining room, where she had left the family when she went into the hall. Just as she had planned, they were all slumped in their chairs, eyes closed. She smiled; satisfied that she had been successful, for the time being at least.

"Now for part two," she said to herself quietly. She walked out to her car and then returned quickly with a large bag. She opened the bag and pulled out a handful of blindfolds, which she hurriedly secured around each family member's eyes. She then returned to the bag and extracted twelve lengths of black cord. She carefully wrapped the cord around everyone's wrists and ankles. Then, she rummaged through her bag until she found a small, black remote. Pressing the only button on the controller, she watched the cord turn from black to bright green. She grinned to herself, knowing that not even Mr. Incredible would be able to break through it now.

"Alright then," she said, finally regaining confidence in herself and her mission, "now we just need to move you. Shouldn't be too hard... Except for Father Fatty over there, you all look pretty light." She rolled her eyes at the sight of Bob, who was definitely going to prove difficult to move, but she had come prepared. She returned to her car and grabbed a metal ball, about the size of a basketball, and a touch pad. Then she returned to the house. She pulled Tony out of his chair and laid him down on the dining room floor. She then placed the metal ball on Tony's stomach. "Please let this work," she whispered. She turned her attention to the touch pad, which had several different options for her to choose. She tapped the option that read "Activate 1".

The metal ball shuddered for a moment and lifted a few inches into the air above Tony. A small, blue light scanned the young man's body and then vanished. Then, the ball began to morph and change shape. It went from being a sphere to a flat surface. It stretched itself out until it was the same length of Tony's body. Kyler then reached up and slid the metal sheet underneath Tony. Then, returning to her touch pad, she selected an option called "Close". Sides started to rise up from the flat surface underneath Tony and eventually, the unconscious man was enclosed in a large metal box. Kyler tapped the option "Transport &GPS" on her touch pad. She swiftly entered an address into a box that appeared on the screen and then hit "Transport". A bright light surrounded the metal box and then, before Kyler could blink, it disappeared with Tony inside of it. Kyler grinned, satisfied that her invention had worked the way she had intended.

She quickly ran back to her car and grabbed a second metal ball and repeated the process with Dash. She continued to do this until the house was empty and all the members of the Parr family were in the location that she had sent them. Then, she picked up her bags and left the house. She climbed into her car and stuck the key in the ignition. Before she could turn it, however, tears overfilled her eyes and she began to sob.

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!**_

_**Mew Painappuru**_


	6. Chapter 6

**_Wolvie'sBiggestFan, That would be an interesting plot twist! Hm... I'll see what I can do... ;) Samtastic, Also a great suggestion! We'll see if Kyler can possibly have a change of heart... Thanks for your reviews guys! Enjoy!_**

Six

When Kyler finally arrived home, she rushed from her car to the small hanger behind her house. Waiting for her was her personal jet pilot, Warner. She didn't need to tell him where to go, for she only ever came to him when she was going to one place. They flew to the little island her father had bought for his work long ago when he was working on a project called the "Omnidroid". She was greeted by the many guards who had agreed to stay after her father's death and work under her employment. As she made her way down the long hallways, her shoes clicked against the linoleum flooring.

When she walked into one of the labs, a young man of about twenty-six rose from the chair he was sitting on and walked over to her. "Kyler, your transportation apparatuses arrived several minutes ago."

"Thank you Topher," Kyler said. "Did you follow the instructions I left you?"

"Yes I did," he said with a nod. "Everything is ready."

Kyler began walking again and Topher followed close behind her. "Wonderful. Thank you again."

The two of them walked to the back of the room, where they came across another door. Topher slid his identification card through the scanner and a click sounded, signaling the door unlocking. Kyler yanked the door open and they proceeded into the room. The light was dim inside the room was dim and an eerie green color. Lined up against the back wall were seven large glass chambers. Occasionally, a puff of bright blue smoke would blow into the chambers from the top. Inside six of the seven were the members of Parr/ Rydinger family. Their eyes were closed and their breathing was slow. Kyler walked up to the tank that held Dash and she sadly placed her hand on the cold glass.

She hated herself for feeling sorry for him. She wasn't supposed to become attached. She was just supposed to get comfortable enough with the family that she was able to attack from the inside. She hadn't counted on her actually developing feelings for anyone. But Dash had made her feel so special in the short time that they had known each other. He made her laugh and treated her like the best friend she had always wanted.

"Kyler, when would you like to begin?" Topher asked, breaking her away from her thoughts.

Kyler turned to her assistant and sighed. "The sooner the better," she replied. "Let's get this over with." She walked over to a large desk and sat on top of it, crossing her legs. Her cyan blue eyes followed Topher as he made his way over to the chambers. Beside the first one was a keypad mounted on the wall. The young man typed in a four-digit passcode and then stepped away from the chambers. "Thank you Topher. That will be all," she said. Topher simply nodded and walked out of the room.

A low, hissing noise filled the air as one of the chambers started to open. Kyler watched with interest as the glass door slid open and Helen spilled onto the floor. The woman hit the ground with a loud thud, which made Kyler jump. But the villainous young woman regained her composure quickly, mentally chastising herself for flinching. It took a few minutes for Helen to come through. When she finally redeemed consciousness, she let out a soft groan and pushed herself up off the floor. She looked around and let out a terrified gasp of recognition.

"What do you think?" Kyler asked, her voice startling the older woman. "Isn't this place wonderful?"

Helen spun around and faced Kyler. Her brown eyes were wide with confusion. "Kyler… What's going on?"

"Elastigirl, I have brought you here to make a very important decision," Kyler said, her voice calm and cool. Helen looked puzzled at being called by her Super name, but didn't say anything. "Let me explain… You see, fifteen years ago, my family was torn apart because my father was taken from me. My mother fell into a depression and didn't care for me the way she should have. I had to grow up without knowing my father and that hurt more than you can probably ever imagine. I vowed to make those who took my father from me pay. I was going to make them suffer. I suppose by now you're wondering what this has to do with you, right? Well, you and your family are the reason my father is dead…"

"What?" Helen cried out. "How is that even-" A sudden realization hit Helen. Those piercing blue eyes and that freckled face had always seemed so familiar, but until then, she was never able to understand why. "Syndrome…" she whispered. "Is that… Is that possible?"

Kyler nodded sadly. "Yes, my father was Buddy Pine, otherwise known as Syndrome. And if it wasn't for all of you, he would still be alive!"

"Kyler, I think you are misunderstanding what really happened. You don't realize what your father was going to do to my family… To everyone in the city!"

"No!" Kyler yelled, silencing Helen. "I don't want to hear your reasons and excuses! No matter what justice you see behind it, my father is still dead and it's your fault! I've dedicated my life to getting revenge on you and your family and the time has finally come for me to carry out my plan." She grinned wickedly. "If you'll look over there, you'll see your children, son-in-law, and your husband. See the smoke that is getting pumped into those chambers? That gas is slowly causing their powers to weaken and their energy to be drained. Only I can stop it and only I can open the chambers, so I suggest you listen carefully to what I have to say. And don't try any funny business. You're family's lives are at stake, Elastigirl."

Helen gasped and stared at her family desperately. Then she turned back to Kyler. "Please, I'll do anything for you to let them go. What is it that you want?"

"I want you to make a choice," Kyler replied. "You see, I recognize the fact that it is Mr. Incredible's fault more than anyone else's that my father is dead. For that reason, I want him to be punished more than any other member of your family. However, it is up to you to decide his fate. Are you ready to hear your choices?"

Helen couldn't believe this was happening. She thought that Kyler was such a sweet girl and she was so happy that Dash had found someone as wonderful as her. "Please, Kyler, isn't there anything I can do to make you change your mind?"

"Negotiating with me is only taking up time that you could be using to save your family. Are you ready to hear your choices or not?" Kyler responded coldly.

Helen sighed. "Yes, I'm ready," she said with defeat.

"You are to choose between your children, including your son-in-law, and your husband. You can either save J.J., Dash, Violet, and Tony, therefore, leaving Mr. Incredible here with me or you can save Mr. Incredible and the other will be left for me to choose their fate. Think carefully. Who would you rather perish? Your husband or your children?"

"How is this possibly punishing Bob?" Helen cried out. "Isn't this more punishment for me?"

"Not at all," Kyler said. "If you choose for him to live, he has to live with the fact that his children are no longer with him because of choices he made. He won't know whether they are dead or just living here with me, doing whatever it is I tell them to do. He will have to live the rest of his life knowing that because of what he did to my father, his children had to suffer from it. However, if you choose to save your children, well… Whatever punishment I then select for Mr. Incredible to accept, will be because of what he's done. Sure, you and the rest of your family will be hurt in the long run, but you all played a part in this as well, so it's only fair that you experience a bit of pain yourself. Anyway, you're still wasting quite a bit of time by just standing there, listening to me talk. So, what's it going to be, Elastigirl?" Kyler sneered, her blue eyes glinting coldly. She crossed her arms and stared at Helen, daring her to make her choice.

Helen could feel a nervous sweat beginning to form on her forehead. How could she possibly choose between her husband and her children? She loved her husband, just as much as she loved Violet, Dash, Jack-Jack, and Tony… "Please," Helen pleaded, tears starting to fall down her face. She glanced around the room, searching for someone to help her, but there was no one. She saw Bob, standing in his chamber with his eyes closed and his breathing slowing down. Beside Bob was an empty chamber that Helen had been in. And alongside that one were the chambers that held Violet, Dash, Jack-Jack, and Tony.

"The longer you take to choose, the worse their conditions gets. So, I suggest that you make your choice very soon. Wouldn't we just hate to see something happen to those children of yours?"

"Don't you touch them, you bitch!" Helen screamed, suddenly losing her self-control. "Don't you lay a single finger on any of my children or Tony or Bob! Do you hear me?" She was sobbing hysterically now. If she lost anyone in her family, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself. She thought of Jack-Jack, who was just starting to live out the best years of his life. He was learning to drive, finding love with Lyra, and deciding his career choice. She thought of Violet, who had just confided in her that she was pregnant. Helen was the only one who knew, besides Tony, of course. She thought of Dash, who was still searching for his place in the world and would now be suffering heartbreak because Kyler wasn't who he thought she was. Her children still had so much to live for. Was she willing to take that away from them?

But what about Bob? Her and Bob had been together for so long and they had been through so much. He was the love of her life. How could she possibly leave him? There was no telling what Kyler would do to him if Helen chose her children over him. And, if Kyler allowed him to live, would Bob ever forgive Helen?

Helen's head hurt and she couldn't think clearly any longer. She looked up at Kyler with pleading eyes, but Kyler just glared back in response. She was waiting for Helen's decision. By the look on the younger woman's face, there was no way Helen was going to be able to sway her. Helen sighed and wiped tears from her eyes.

"What will it be Elastigirl?" Kyler asked again. She smirked and Helen could see the uncanny resemblance to Syndrome. Her piercing blue eyes and cocky smile had clearly been inherited from the girl's father.

Helen let out another sorrowful sigh, finally deciding what she was going to do. She looked over at her children and mentally begged them to forgive her. Then she glanced at her husband and did the same thing. She prayed that her family wouldn't judge her for her choice and that they wouldn't hold it against her.

"I… I've chosen," Helen said in a quiet, defeated voice.

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!**_

_**Mew Painappuru**_


	7. Chapter 7

**_KJ4, I'm glad you're enjoying this story :) I never really considered Helen offering to stay in place of anyone else. Hm... That's an interesting thought though. Perhaps it can be brought up somewhere later on. Wolvie'sBiggestFan, Sorry for the cliffhanger! Hope you like this chapter! Samtasic, That's a really good idea! I'll see what I can do :) Rhonda Petrie, I can just imagine what the family would do to Kyler if they could get the upperhand... Thank you for reading and reviewing!_**

****Seven

Kyler's eyes glinted with interest. "Oh, have you now? Well then, out with it. What's your decision?"

"My… My children…" Helen replied. "I choose my children."

Kyler nodded and an amused look crossed her face. "Interesting…" she mused. "Very well… Your children may go free. Mr. Incredible, however, will be at my disposal."

Helen winced at Kyler's choice of words. "Please, just give my children back to me."

"Yes, yes, alright then." Kyler made her way to the chambers where Violet, Tony, Dash, and Jack-Jack were kept. Kyler typed in a four-digit passcode into the keypad mounted on the wall.

The hissing sound of air escaping the chambers, which where slowly beginning to open, filled the room. Helen rushed forward to assist her children. Violet's chamber opened first, and slowly, the young woman started to fall towards the floor. Helen extended her arms out to catch her daughter. Violet fell gently into Helen's arms, her unconsciousness causing her body to lay limp. Helen pulled Violet against her chest, hugging her tightly.

"Oh Vi… I'm so sorry," Helen whispered as she pushed a few strands of dark hair from Violet's face.

The sound of a second chamber opening filled the room again and Helen say Tony's chamber begin to open. Helen gingerly laid Violet on the floor and then prepared herself to catch her son-in-law. Tony slipped as he tried to walk out of the chamber and leaned against Helen for support. Helen patted his arm gently and ushered him over to where Violet was laying, where he then sat down. He took Violet's hand and stroked her hair lovingly, while Helen made her way over to Dash's chamber.

When the chamber fully opened, Dash didn't fall out the way his sister had. Instead, he stumbled out and looked around, dazed and confused. When his eyes landed on Helen, he smiled weakly. "Mom…?" he whispered.

"Oh Dash…" Helen pulled him into her arms and kissed his cheek. "Dash, I'm so sorry."

Dash shook his head, pushing her apology aside. "Is Violet alright?" he asked, noticing his sister lying on the floor.

"She will be," Helen replied. When the sound of the last chamber opening rang out, Helen moved forward to greet her third child.

Like Violet, Jack-Jack was unconscious and Helen had to catch him as he fell out of the chamber. Helen held him close and then turned to Dash and Tony. Tony had lifted Violet off the floor and was now holding her protectively in his arms.

"Come on Dash, Tony… We need to get out of here." She glanced toward Kyler, then made her way out of the room with Dash and Tony following close behind her.

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!**_

_**Mew Painappuru**_


	8. Chapter 8

**_KJ4, Thanks so much for your support! This chapter's a bit longer. Enjoy :)_**

Eight

As she watched the family walked out of the room, Kyler caught Dash's eyes. She could see so many different emotions running through them. Anger, confusion, exhaustion, and sorrow… Kyler knew that she had betrayed and hurt him, but it had been necessary. How else was she supposed to get revenge on Mr. Incredible? How else was she supposed to avenger her father? Somebody had to get hurt. It was inevitable. Still, there was a pang in her heart. There was no way her and Dash would ever be able to be with each other, and it hurt Kyler to know that. She was going to miss Dash's goofy personality and his sweet smile. She turned away from them and started making her way over to Mr. Incredible's chamber.

Before she reached it, however, she was lifted up and pulled into a tight embrace. She gasped for air and she could hear Helen screaming Dash's name. But she couldn't imagine that she was in Dash's arms. Dash wasn't strong enough to crush her airway in such a manner. His power was speed, not strength.

"Dash! Stop it!" Helen yelled. "I know you're angry, but you can't kill her. Let her go!"

"I can't kill her, but she can kill Dad?" Dash yelled back, his voice loud in Kyler's ear. Kyler's vision was starting to get fuzzy and her mind was beginning to feel foggy.

"Don't stoop to her level," Helen replied, trying to reason with her angry son. "Please, Dash, let her go."

Kyler heard Dash sigh and she was suddenly free. She fell to the floor, gasping for breath. She coughed a few times as she gulped cold air into her lungs. She looked up at Dash, who was standing above her, and was surprised to see tears in his blue eyes. A look of disgust was painted across his face and he looked away from her as soon as their eyes met.

"You know, this is kind of funny," she breathed. "Your father did a similar thing to my mother when he was fighting my dad. He threatened to snap her in half. He was strong enough to do it too, but he let her go. Just like you let me go… I never knew you were that strong. Did you inherit your father's strength alongside of your speed?" she asked.

Dash ignored her question and remained silent for a few minutes. Then, unable to hold his thoughts back any longer, he finally broke down. "How could you do this to us Kyler?" he asked, his voice shaking. "You know what it's like to lose your father. How could you possibly want to bring that same pain to someone else?"

Kyler sighed sadly. "You don't understand… After my dad died, my mother spiraled into a depression and could barely manage to care for me. My entire world was flipped upside down and I had to learn to take care of myself. If it hadn't been for your father's selfishness, I could have grown up a happy child and none of this would ever have to happen. Your father is to blame, not me."

"You have no idea who your father truly was! You only know bits and pieces that your mother was willing to tell you!" Dash yelled, making Kyler flinch. "_Your_ father was the bad guy, not mine! Your father was willing to kill everyone in the city in order to gain a little attention. He was so desperate for approval for someone that he didn't care who suffered on his way to getting it! He's not worth doing all of this. Why can't you realize that?"

Tears suddenly filled Kyler's eyes as well as she stared into Dash's face. "I'm sorry Dash…" she said quietly. "It's just… It's something I _have_ to do." That was all she could manage to say. For once, she had no words, no witty remarks, no scowls, and no excuses to back up her way of thinking. She suddenly felt so helpless. She still hadn't even stood up from when Dash had dropped her onto the ground. She couldn't bring herself to stand, and even if she could, she knew her legs would just shake the whole time.

"There are options other than revenge," Dash said, his voice softening just a little. "You need to come to terms with who your father really was. Then you need to forget about this crazy plan of yours and leave my family alone."

Kyler shook her head furiously. "My father was a good man. I know he was. My mother wouldn't lie to me. He was a good man and he loved me and he loved her and we would have been a happy family if your father had just…"

"Had just what, Kyler? Let Buddy be his faithful sidekick when he was a kid? Do you think that really would have changed anything? I understand that he was just looking for acceptance all through his life, but he went about it the wrong way. And honestly, because I _know_ what kind of person your father used to be, I don't think that just the acceptance of Mr. Incredible would have been enough. He was eager for recognition and respect from everyone and he could never get enough of it. I know this probably isn't what you want to hear, and I'm sorry, Kyler. But that is who your father was and I don't think anything would ever change that."

Kyler couldn't hold back any longer. Her covered her face with her hands and began sobbing hysterically. She didn't want to believe what Dash was saying, but it was hard not to. She knew Dash wouldn't lie to her, even if it was to protect his father. He was telling her the truth and it hurt so much. She had always had a mental picture of the perfect dad, who would have watched her grow up and always be so proud of her. "We were supposed to be the perfect family…" she whimpered through her tears.

Dash crouched down next to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump slightly. "I don't doubt that your family would have been full of love. I'm sure that, had he lived, your dad would be so proud of you. Honestly, look at you Kyler. You're obviously determined, dedicated, and extremely intelligent. And you are so beautiful. Any father would be proud to call you his daughter."

Kyler lifted her head and looked up at Dash. His words sunk into her heart like a thousand knives. She couldn't fathom how he was able to be so kind and say such wonderful things to her after all she was putting him through. "Dash…" she whispered. Behind Dash, she could see that Violet and J.J. had regained consciousness once again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. When she opened them again, she lifted herself off the ground and walked over to the chamber where Bob was being held. She pressed her hand against the cold glass and sighed. Then she moved over to the keypad and entered the four-digit passcode.

The chamber hissed open and Bob stumbled out. He gasped loudly and inhaled deeply, taking in the clean air. Helen choked out a sob and ran to her husband's side, wrapping her arms around him. Violet, J.J., and Tony soon followed behind her, expressing how happy they were that he was alright. Dash was the only one who didn't rush to his father's side. Instead, he continued to stare at Kyler, who had sunk to the ground once again.

"Kyler…" was all he could manage to say.

Kyler shook her head and looked up at Dash with tearful eyes. "Please just get out of here. Take your family and all of you just leave… You know where the hanger is. It's the same as when you came here as a child. I'll tell my pilot to fly you back home."

Dash wanted to say something to her, but he couldn't form any words. He sighed sadly and whispered, "Thank you," then gathered his family and told them that they needed to go to the hanger. As they were walking away, Dash looked over his shoulder and gazed at Kyler, on the phone with her pilot and with tears running down her face. He hated to see her in such a state, but there wasn't much that he could do. He silently thanked her again for freeing his father and then followed his family to where the jet was waiting to take them home.

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!**_

_**Mew Painappuru**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Samtastic, Thank you for giving me the idea! I hope you liked the way it was introduced. KJ4, I wonder, is Dash being more likeable a bad thing or a good thing? Hopefully it's good! Haha enjoy this chapter! **_

Nine

"Just let the boy grieve! Honestly, Helen, he just wants to be alone."

"How can you be so sure? What if he needs someone to talk to? We can't just let him sit there and wallow in his sorrows and pain!"

"If he wants someone to talk to, he'll come out here and talk!"

From inside the bedroom he had when he was a child, Dash listened to his parents argue about him. Since returning home, he had been locked up in his room, refusing to leave, even for meals. He hated the fact that he was just lying on his bed missing the woman who had nearly destroyed his family, but he couldn't help it. Kyler had meant a lot to him. She was the first serious relationship he had in a long time. She wasn't just a fling like so many other women had been.

_This would be my luck…_ he thought sadly. _Just when I thought I had found someone nearly perfect… _

Dash ran his fingers through his blonde hair and sighed. The whole situation just refused to sit comfortably with him. Besides Kyler's betrayal, something wasn't right. Dash sat up and looked out the window. The sun was slowly starting to descend, coloring the sky with an array of oranges, pinks, and purples. He noticed that his parents were no longer fighting in the hallway, and figured that they had retreated to the dining room for dinner with J.J.

_I might be crazy for doing this, but I have to know, or I'll never be happy._

Dash jumped off the bed and grabbed his black hoodie off his desk chair. He pulled it on and then moved to the window. As he opened the window, he mentally thanked his parents for buying a one story house. He hoisted himself over the windowsill and fell a short distance to the ground. He took a deep breath and began running away from his house, on his way to see an old family friend. The cool air whipped at his face, but Dash ignored it. He was too busy hoping that he still remembered the address to where he was trying to go.

After a half hour of running, Dash's legs were getting tired and the young man knew he was soon going to need to stop. Otherwise, he would probably end up collapsing from exhaustion. Dash ran a few more blocks and then finally slowed to a sluggish walk. He wiped sweat from his brow and panted heavily, trying to regain his breath. He looked around, trying to find a certain street sign, but the darkness of the night was making it a little difficult. He squinted his eyes to read one of the signs and let out a sigh of relief when it was the one he had been searching for. He turned down the street, practically dragging himself to the house on the end of the street. He reached the front door and leaned against it for support while he composed himself. When he was finally collected once again, he rang the doorbell.

A few minutes later, a middle aged man answered the door. He smiled when he saw Dash. "Dashiell! How are you doing, man?"

"I'm good, Warner," Dash replied. "Is your father available? I have something very important I need to talk to him about."

Warner's face grew serious and he nodded. "Come on in. I'll go get him for you."

Dash followed Warner into the house, which was warm due to a fire burning in the fireplace. Warner gestured for Dash to sit down on the couch, which he did. An old western movie was playing on the large screen television in the background. Dahs paid no attention to it though, for his mind was on more imperative matters. A minute later, an elderly man walked into the room. Dash stood up and stuck his hand out to the man, who grasped and shook it vigorously.

"Hello there, Dashiell."

"Good evening, Mr. Dicker," Dash replied. "Thank you for seeing me."

The two men sat down on the couch. "Don't mention it," Rick Dicker replied. "You know I would do anything for you and your family."

Dash nodded. "It means a lot, Mr. Dicker."

Rick smiled. "I do what I can, which isn't much nowadays… But anyway, what can I do for you son? You seem very determined to find out something. What can I help you with?"

Dash sighed. "Mr. Dicker, I need you to release some information to me, concerning someone we had a problem with many years back. I know it might seem like a long time to remember, but anything you can tell me will be helpful. Mr. Dicker… I… I need you to tell me about Syndrome. I need to know everything that happened concerning him after the plane accident. Where is he buried? Where is Mirage? Please, it's very important that I know these things."

Rick looked at Dash with sad eyes. "That may seem like a long time, indeed, but I will never forget that year. I can tell you what you need, but I have to ask, why do you want to know?"

Dash looked away from the old man. "Personal reasons," he mumbled.

"That was your first job as a hero," Rick said. "I can understand if you're doing this just for nostalgic reasons. Is that what this about?"

"Not particularly," Dash replied. "If you don't mind, Mr. Dicker, I'd rather not state my reasons for asking about all of this. Like I said, it's personal."

Rick nodded. "Very well. I trust you, Dashiell, and so, I will tell you everything you want to know. Now, tell me your questions once more please. I am an old man, and my memory is no longer at its peak."

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!**_

_**Mew Painappuru**_


	10. Chapter 10

Ten

"Dash… I don't want you doing anything that could end up putting you in danger," Helen said, stroking her son's soft, blonde hair as if he were still a young child. She looked at him with uneasiness in her eyes.

"I know, Mom," he replied with a sigh. "I promise that I will be careful. I just… I feel like this _needs_ to be done. I really do. I want to help her."

"She means a lot to you, doesn't she?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

Dash nodded sadly. "She really does. And I know she shouldn't, considering everything that she put us through, but I can't shake these feelings. I can tell that she's hurting and I just want to make her feel alright again. I want… I want her to be happy. Even if she isn't happy with me, I just want to know that she is happy."

"And you think that what you are doing is going to bring that happiness to her?" Helen inquired.

"I hope so," Dash said quietly. "If it doesn't… I don't know what else I could do. But I can't just give up on her. I have to at least try…"

"I'm proud of you, Dash. I really am." Helen smiled at him, trying to cover up the worry she was feeling. "You've grown into such an incredible young man. I hope Kyler appreciates your efforts."

"Thanks, Mom," Dash said with a boyish grin.

"Have you told your father about what you are doing, yet?"

"Hell no!" Dash exclaimed. "I know exactly how he would react to that kind of news and it would not be good at all. I'm not looking to be told that I can't go through with these plans. He can find out later."

"He's not going to be happy that you're keeping this from him," Helen replied sternly.

"He's not going to be happy even if I _do_ tell him," Dash argued. "But he can't stop me from doing this. I've already made up my mind."

Helen sighed. "Alright then, I trust you, Dash. Please be careful. Are you sure you don't want to take the car?"

"Nah, I need the exercise anyway." He kissed his mother's cheek and smiled at her. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too Dash. Come home soon."

Dash got off of the couch and picked up his backpack off the floor. He slung it over his shoulders and then gave his mother a reassuring thumbs up. He couldn't tell if he was trying to settle her nerves, or his own. When he walked out of the house, he inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with sweet, crisp morning air. Then he began running. The load of his backpack put a painful pressure on his back, but he did his best to ignore it by setting his mind on his destination.

It had been a week since his visit with Rick Dicker. Since then, he had been making phone calls and creating plans that would hopefully bring peace to Kyler, or at least make her pain a little duller. Thinking about the young woman made Dash's chest hurt. He was still suffering from her betrayal and he honestly wasn't sure if he was ready to face her again. However, he was putting his own discomfort aside in order to bring her happiness again.

He couldn't help but laugh at himself. He never used to be this way. He was always so egotistical and self-concerned. What was it about Kyler that made him want to help her? He never would have thought he would ever be acting so selflessly towards a woman he had only known for about a month. It was a strangely satisfying feeling. He continued to grin all the way to the airport. Dash made his way to a small hanger that was reserved for military business. Standing outside the hanger was a tall man in a pilot's uniform. When Dash approached, the man smiled at him.

"I guess it's safe to assume that you're Dashiell Parr?" he said.

"That's right," Dash replied. "Are you my pilot for today?"

The man nodded. "My name is Topher Pauley. I'm happy to be at your service today." Topher stuck out his hand, which Dash grabbed and shook enthusiastically.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Dash said politely. "I can't thank you enough for your help. It means a lot."

"It's no trouble at all," Topher assured the young man. "The island isn't very far away anyway."

"Still, I really do appreciate it."

Topher grinned. "Well, let's get on the jet so we can get you to where you need to be!"

The two men boarded a private jet the Rick Dicker had set up for Dash. The jet would be at Dash's service whenever he needed it for up to a week. Dash had guaranteed the old man that he wouldn't need it for that long, but Rick had insisted. The jet was small, but cozy. Dash made himself comfortable while Topher prepared for flight. Once they were up in the air, Dash found himself to be a lot more exhausted than he had thought and tried to fall asleep. However, he was kept awake by thoughts of Kyler.

He had no idea how she would react to seeing him again and hearing about the plans he had made for the two of them. Hell, he didn't even know if Kyler was still on the island. He certainly hoped she was. He didn't exactly plan on going on a hunt for her. Although, if he needed to, he would search the entire world for her. He wasn't going to be able to rest until he saw this plan through until the end. He was determined to bring peace to Kyler's tortured soul, or at least attempt to. Dash closed his eyes, wishing for the millionth time that sleep would overtake him.

_I'm coming Kyler. I'm coming to help you. I'm sorry for everything that's happened. I truly am… So sorry…_

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!**_

_**Mew Painappuru**_


	11. Chapter 11

**_Rhonda Petrie, Thank you very much! princessmiddleast, Never fear! The update is here! Hahah... AllyAllyOop, Thank you! I'm so happy to hear that you are enjoying this story. I hope it continues to please :)_**

Eleven

Dash had asked the pilot to land somewhere away from Kyler's lab. He knew that she would never allow a government plane to land on her property or stay in her hangar. He promised that he knew his way through the jungle and would be able to find Kyler easily. Topher promised to stay where he was until nightfall. If Dash wasn't back by then, he was to assume something happened and get a hold of Rick Dicker for further instructions.

Dash got off the plane and entered the jungle. He began running as quickly as he could, heading towards the lab. He hoped he was going the right way. He was basing everything off the memory he had from his childhood, when he was running from Syndrome's henchmen. As he ran, he dodged low hanging branches, vines, and other obstacles nature had laid out for him. He tried to keep his mind free of thoughts about Kyler. He wanted to focus only on getting through the jungle for the time being. He couldn't afford to get distracted; he was on a time limit. He concentrated on urging his feet to move faster, so he could get to Kyler quicker.

When he finally arrived to the lab, it was already late in the day. Dash had sweat dripping down his forehead and he was breathing heavily. He knew that he must look like a mess, but he didn't have time to make himself look nicer. If he had any hope of getting back to the plane before night, he couldn't waste any time. He needed to find Kyler, convince her to come with him, and then make it back to the plane. He approached the front door and was greeted by a guard, who stuck a gun in Dash's face.

"What's your business here?" he growled.

"I'm here to see Kyler," Dash replied calmly.

"The boss don't wanna see no ones," the guard replied. "Turn 'round and leave. You're not welcome here."

"Look," Dash said, letting a bit of his anger seep out through his voice, "I'm going to see Kyler one way or another, so you might as well just let me in and take me to her."

"How many times I gotta say it, punk? Get the hell outta here. Ain't no one gonna see ya."

"Fine…" Dash said with mock defeat. "Fine, I'll leave."

He turned and slowly began to walk away. When he was certain that the officer had let his guard down, Dash spun around and ran towards him as fast as he could. He delivered a rough punch to the man's stomach, causing him to drop his gun and cry out in pain. Dash hit him again, this time striking him in the face. The man fell to the ground, unconscious. Dash bent down and grabbed the man by his arms and dragged him a short distance into the jungle. He stripped the man of his uniform and put it on. It was a bit big, but Dash ignored that setback. He also stole the man's keycard, helmet, and gun. When he had everything that he needed, he headed back to the building, this time entering without a problem. He walked through the long hallways without encountering any other patrolmen.

When he finally arrived to the room where Kyler had held him and his family, he stopped to gather his thoughts. He took a deep breath to steady himself and then walked inside. The room was dark and it seemed to be empty. Dash walked around, trying his best not to make any noise. He knew that it would have been extremely lucky for him to find Kyler in this particular room, but he had been hoping that he would. He certainly didn't have time to search the entire building for her. Plus, he had no clue where to even start. He wasn't familiar with the entire place. With a sigh, he leaned against the wall and slid to the floor to sit. Dash removed his helmet and placed it on the floor beside him.

"Dammit, Kyler… Where are you…?" he muttered to himself. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair and sighed again. He didn't know if Kyler had sleeping quarters somewhere within the building, or if she had returned back to her home off of the island. But, either way, he hadn't found her, and Topher would be leaving soon. "I guess I have to keep looking… Even if it means searching this whole damn place. I _need_ to know where she is." Dash pushed himself onto his feet again and picked up his helmet. Just as he was about to put it back on, the sound of heels clicking against linoleum sounded from outside of the room. Dash's eyes widened and his mind screamed at him to hide somewhere, but he couldn't get his body to listen. He just stood there.

The door opened and someone walked in. Dash could tell by the silhouette exactly who it was. Kyler made her way to the light switch and flipped the lights on. She turned to move towards her desk, but stopped and screamed when she saw Dash.

"Kyler! Don't scream!" Dash said, trying to calm her down. He ran over to her and placed his hand over her mouth. "No more screaming… Shit. Do you _want_ your guards to come down here and open fire on me?" Kyler shook her head. "Alright…" Dash removed his hand and Kyler stepped back a few paces.

"What I _do_ want is to know what the hell you're doing here!" Kyler said.

"There's something I need to talk to you about," Dash replied, trying not to let her angry tone hurt him. "It's really important, Kyler."

"There's nothing for us to talk about!" Kyler exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "I let your father live! I let all of you go! I'm done with your family! I'll never bother you again, so there's no reason for you to bother me either! Please… Just leave me alone!"

Dash noticed her blue eyes starting to fill with tears and his heart clenched. "I won't be satisfied until we talk, Ky. Please, just come with me." Kyler shook her head viciously. "Look, I didn't want to go about it this way, but… You kidnapped me and my family and threatened to kill my father. The least you can do is listen to what I have to say."

"Oh really?" Kyler yelled. "_That's_ the least I could do? Have you forgotten the part where I let you all go? You guys are free! Your dad is alive! You can't hold that above me Dashiell Parr! I won't allow it!"

Dash sighed. "Kyler, I _swear_ to you that I will never speak to you again, if that's what you would want, if you just listen to me. _Please_, Kyler… I'm begging you."

Kyler crossed her arms in front of her chest and stared at him coolly. "I can't possibly imagine what could be so damn important that you are going through all this trouble to talk to me." She sighed. "But I'll listen. Only if you uphold that vow though. After this, I never want to see you ever again. I don't hear from you either. It will be like we never knew each other, alright?"

As much as it hurt Dash to imagine living in such a manner, he nodded his head. "I promise," he said. "It'll be like I never existed."

"Good," Kyler said unemotionally. "Now, what is it that you want?"

"Maybe you should sit down," Dash said, directing her to her desk. When she was sitting, Dash leaned against the desk and stared at the floor for a few seconds. Then he took a deep breath and faced Kyler again. "I want to talk to you about your parents."

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!**_

_**Mew Painappuru**_


	12. Chapter 12

**_princessmiddleast, Thanks for your constant support on so many of my stories! It means a lot :)_**

Twelve

_I honestly don't know how it happened. He said he wanted to talk. That means sit down, exchange a few words, he leaves, and I go on my merry way. So, what the hell am I doing sitting beside him on a government plane? How did I let him convince me onto the plane? Could it be because he promised to take me to see my parents? Sure, that played a big part in my decision, but do I really want to see my mom and dad that much? Not really… _

_Don't get me wrong. I 've always loved my mother with all of my heart and the day that she disappeared from my life hurt me more than anyone could ever imagine. And when he was still alive, I loved my father deeply as well. Hell, I spent my childhood coming up with plans to avenge him. My parents meant the world to me. But they both left me. I've been so alone for so many years. I don't think that I'm exactly ready to face them just yet. I just don't know if I can do it. _

_Sadly, in the back of my mind, I can't help but wonder if Dash is lying to me and he's collecting me for the government so that I can be arrested for what I did to his family. It would hurt so much if he was, even though I deserve it. I wouldn't blame him either, I suppose. If I was in his place, I would probably turn me in too. What all could I be charged with anyway? Certainly kidnapping. Attempted murder? Maybe… I don't know… I should dwell on it. They'll tell me when they put the handcuffs on me. _

Kyler turned and stared out the window. It was starting to get dark and they were flying over the ocean, so there wasn't much to see, but it gave Kyler an excuse to avoid Dash's eyes and be alone with her thoughts. She rested her head against the cool window and sighed quietly. She felt Dash place a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she flinched at his touch. She couldn't help but think that, without warning, Dash would suddenly attack her as revenge for what she had put him and his family through. However, the more rational part of her mind told her that he would never do such a thing, especially to her. Dash's kindness and understanding made Kyler nervous, and she wasn't really sure why.

"There's no reason for you to be so jumpy," Dash said calmly, trying to soothe her and help her relax. "I promise that nothing is going to hurt or happen to you. I won't let it."

Kyler didn't answer him. She couldn't. She knew that she should thank him for being so sympathetic , but she couldn't bring herself to say those two, simple words. Just thinking about it made her chest hurt. Tears sprung to eyes as she realized how heartless she had become. Vengeance had taken a terrible toll on her heart and mind, and failure had only made it worse.

"I know that you probably don't want to hear this, Ky," Dash continued, trying to get rid of the silence, "but I still care about you, a lot. And this sounds really stupid, especially coming from someone like me, but you will always be important to me and I will always be here for you, no matter what. I don't know… I just wanted to make sure you knew that." Dash realized that she wasn't going to speak up, so he leaned his head against the headrest on his seat and closed his eyes. Before he knew it, he was asleep, snoring softly.

Kyler looked over her shoulder and stared at Dash's sleeping figure. He looked so at peace and happy, despite everything that was going on. Kyler was amazed by the serenity on his face. She wondered if she looked so placid in her sleep as well, or if her worry and melancholy was presented on her face all the time. The sound of Dash's heavy breathing and quite snores were beginning to make Kyler feel tired as well. Her eyelids suddenly became very heavy and she yawned involuntarily. She desperately tried to stay awake, but her efforts were in vain. She rested her head on Dash's shoulder and closed her eyes, letting sleep overtake her.

"Kyler. Kyler, wake up. We're here."

Kyler's eyelids fluttered open and she saw Dash smiling at her. She groaned softly and sat up straight. With a yawn, she stretched her arms and cracked her neck. "Here?" she asked in a sleepy voice. "Where is here?"

"We're going to see your mother. Are you ready?"

Kyler had momentarily forgotten that Dash was taking her to see her parents and a wave of nervousness hit her like a punch in the stomach. She felt her insides churn and she was worried for a moment that she was going to throw up. It hadn't occurred to her how difficult this was going to be and she wasn't sure she was ready at all. It had been so long since she had spoken to her mother. She had no idea what she should say, or even if she would be able to speak at all. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she knew she was going to need Dash to be there and help keep her strong.

"Kyler, are you ready to go?" Dash repeated, breaking her away from her thoughts.

"Oh… Um, I don't know," Kyler replied honestly. "I don't know if I can do this." She brushed her golden hair out of her face and clenched her fists tightly to stop her eyes from flooding with tears.

Dash grabbed her hands and stared into her electric blue eyes. He couldn't help but imagine Syndrome's face when he looked at those eyes, for they were exactly like his. But then he remembered that he was looking at Kyler, not Syndrome. Despite her problems and mistakes, Kyler was _not_ Syndrome. In fact, they were both very different. "Listen to me," he said, trying to calm her down, "it's going to be hard. I'm not going to lie to you. It's going to be really difficult, especially because it's been so long since the last time you've talked to her. But I'm here for you, Kyler. I'll stand by your side for as long as you want me to."

Kyler couldn't help but smile at Dash. His kindness was overwhelming and filled her with incredible warmth that not only relaxed her, but also caused her cheeks to flush. "Thank you, Dash… I'll admit that I don't really understand _why_ you're being so wonderfully nice to me, but it means a lot and I don't think I can ever thank you enough. It means the world to me to know that you'll be there for me." Kyler leaned closer to Dash and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "I think I'm ready now," she said, squeezing his hand.

Dash squeezed back and smiled at her encouragingly. "Alright then. Let's go."

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!**_

_**Mew Painappuru**_


	13. Chapter 13

**_Elcten8.81, That's an interesting idea! We'll see what happens ;) Samtastic, Time to find out the truth behind Mirage! Hope you enjoy :)_**

Thirteen

"Hi…Hi Mom," Kyler said, approaching slowly. She was still clutching Dash's hand, too scared to let him go. "I know it's been a long time since we've spoken but… I don't know, Mom, I guess, I'm just a little scared… I miss you so much, and I wish I'd come to see you sooner. I feel so guilty… I never meant for this to happen to us. And… I wish I could say that it was my idea to come here, but it was really Dash's. He talked me into it. I didn't even know you were here. Oh… You remember Dash Parr, right? He's Mr. Incredible's son. Him and I… We've gotten kind of close over the past couple of weeks. It's a… interesting relationship we have." She looked at Dash and they both laughed.

"You've got a wonderful daughter here," Dash said, squeezing Kyler's hand. "I'm sure you're very proud of her. She's incredibly smart, determined, and ever so beautiful. And, I just want to let you know, that she's in good hands. Even if she's being stubborn and is sure she doesn't need any help, I'll always be there for her. I care about her a lot, and I want to help her in any way I can. I promise you that I will always protect her."

Kyler wiped her misty eyes and smiled. "I'm really lucky to have a friend like him. I've put him through a lot, and for some reason, he is still by my side. I don't know what I would do without him. But anyway, Mom, I'm glad I got this chance to come and speak with you. It means a lot, and I really hope I can do this again. No… I _will_ do this again. I promise I will come and see you more often. I miss you so much… I really do. It was so hard when you left. I wish I could have done something to make you stay. But I'm going to make up for lost time. I love you… Mom…"

Kyler couldn't hold back her tears any longer and she choked on a sob. "Mommy!" She let go of Dash's hand and dropped to her knees. She tightly gripped the bouquet of flowers she had been holding, crushing the stems and nearly snapping them in half. Her chest was tight and painful, her body convulsing with sobs. She could barely see through her teary vision, but she crawled forward a few inches and pressed her hand against the cold stone in front of her. She traced the name engraved into the stone with her index finger.

_Mirage Pine_

"Mommy…"

_1971-2011_

"Mom… I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry! I miss you so much and I'll never forget you! I'll make you proud I swear!" She was becoming hysterical and Dash was scared for her, but he left her alone and let her cry against her mother's headstone. "Mom…" she gasped for breath and she slowly began to relax again. "Mommy… I love you…" she whispered before she planted a soft kiss on the cold stone. She then placed the flowers before the tombstone and turned to Dash. Dash helped her to her feet and then brought her against his chest. He held her tightly as the last of her tears fell. When she was finished, she grasped Dash's hand and gave him a watery smile. "Thank you for all of this," she said in a soft voice. "It…It means so much to me. I really needed it."

"I know…" Dash replied, smiling back at her and soothingly rubbing her back. "And you know, this was really hard, but talking with your father… That's going to be harder. I just want you to be prepared for that."

"I know…" Kyler replied with a shaky breath. "And I think I'm ready for it. It has to be done, just like this had to be done."

Dash nodded. "We'll get back on the plane whenever you're ready."

Kyler inhaled deeply then said, "Alright. I think I'm ready. Let's go."

Dash reached for her hand and was pleasantly surprised when she allowed him to grasp it. He gave it a gentle squeeze and then led the way onto the plane. When they were both situated, Dash gave the pilot the signal to take off. Once they were in the air, Kyler let her head rest on Dash's chest. Dash put his arm around her and let out a content sigh.

Kyler no longer cared about acting cold towards Dash any longer. He had been too kind to deserve such treatment. And besides, she had missed the affection between the two of them. She hadn't realized how special Dash had been to her until she had lost him. She almost couldn't believe that she had put him and his family through such trauma. But she also couldn't forget what she had done to them, and she knew that she was going to live with that guilt for the rest of her life. She knew that she didn't deserve Dash's friendship and compassion, but she was grateful for it.

"Kyler?" Dash said in a soft voice, as if he were checking to see if she were awake or not.

"Hm?" she responded, looking up at him. She could see a bit of stubble beginning to appear on his chin and jaw, which made her smile. For as long as she had known Dash, he stayed clean shaven because he believed that facial hair would ruin his appearance. She had always secretly wished that he would grow a mustache, or small beard because she was curious about what he would look like with facial hair.

"I… I hope you're not upset with me for making you do this…" he said, a hint of guilt in his voice.

Kyler turned so that she was looking Dash in the eyes. "Now, why would you think that I would be upset with you?" she asked, truly concerned. Had she not come off as appreciative?

"I don't know," Dash replied with a small one shoulder shrug. "I know that it's a lot to take in and it's probably a bit stressful for you. And, I don't want you to feel like you are being forced to do something that is going to make you uncomfortable. I mean, you handled going to your mother's grave quite well, in my opinion, but that doesn't mean that you are hurting and resenting me on the inside."

Kyler sighed. "Of course I'm hurting, Dash," she said. "I haven't seen my mother for _years_. All this time, I thought she was just living alone somewhere, unable to live with me because I reminded her so much of my dad. And then, all of a sudden, I find out that she's dead. Not even that, but she committed suicide because she was so distraught over losing my dad. I can't think of the right words to explain how much it hurt to find out about that. However, I'm glad that you did tell me, because otherwise, I never would have been able to have any kind of closure with her. And I'm thankful for you taking me to see her and my dad. I know that this is going to hard, but once I see him, it can only get easier, right?"

"Right," Dash said with a proud smile on his face.

"I really can't thank you enough for all of this," Kyler said. "It means the world to me."

"You're welcome, Kyler," Dash said. He reached out and placed his hand on Kyler's cheek, stoking her soft skin with his thumb.

Kyler's heart began to pound faster as she stared into his eyes, waiting for him to lean closer and kiss her. She recognized his motions. He had done this many times when they had been dating.

Dash would be lying if he said he didn't want to kiss her. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't want to get too attached to her again. He just wanted to help her through this little step in her life, and then let her continue on without him. Of course, he was going to uphold his promise and be there for her if she ever needed him, but he wasn't going to force his way into her life. It was obvious that she liked being alone, for the most part, and she could take care of herself. Besides, could he really stay close to her without hurting his family again?

When Dash's hand dropped away from her face, her heart dropped too. She couldn't understand why he was shying away from her. She suddenly felt like a teenager out on her first date. She was worried that her breath smelled, or that she had read too much into his actions. And she couldn't bear the disappointment that was filling her. But, before she could turn away from him, he placed his hand on her back and pushed her closer to him. Kyler hesitantly placed her head back on his chest and decided to just be content with that for the time being.

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!**_

_**Mew Painappuru**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**KaylahDemi, Aw... I'm sorry to hear that it almost made you cry, but I hope that since it was able to evoke that kind of emotion from you that means it was a well written chapter? :) I hope you continue to read and this story!**_

Fourteen

Kyler was having a hard time falling asleep on the way to meet her father. Instead, she stared out the window and watched the clouds go past. The blue sky eventually turned black and the only sound Kyler could hear was the hum of the plane and Dash's soft snores. Kyler closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep, but something was keeping her awake. Her mind was reeling with thoughts about her parents and Dash. She was terrified to meet her father, more than she had been to meet her mother, but she was excited at the same time. She knew she needed to sleep though, or she would be exhausted when they landed and would be too tired to talk to her father.

She tried to clear her mind and focus only on falling asleep. But without thoughts of her parents to occupy her mind, she began to think about Dash. She was curious as to where their relationship stood now, and if there was any hope to getting it back to the way it used to be. She liked the comforting feeling of leaning against him and feeling safe beside him. She had missed it. She was getting the impression that Dash had missed it too, which filled her with a strange warmness. She hoped that Dash was planning on giving her a second chance. She wanted to prove herself to him and his family. She wanted to make up for everything she had done…

"I hate to wake her…"

"No, no. It's alright. We need to get going."

Kyler's eyes fluttered open and she yawned. "What' going on?" she asked in a groggy voice. She saw the pilot standing in front of her and felt Dash's arm around her shoulders. She didn't remember falling asleep the previous night.

"Sorry, ma'am," the Garrick said, "we didn't really mean to wake you so rudely, but we've arrived at our destination."

"Oh…" Kyler said, brushing her golden hair away from her face. "Alright then, thank you." She looked up at Dash, who smiled at her, and then stood up.

"I've made arrangements for us to stay at a hotel so that we can shower, get something to eat, and to change. And then, tonight, we can sleep there so that we don't have to sleep in the plane again. I know that it can get really uncomfortable after a while." Dash said, also standing up and leading the way off the plane. He waved goodbye to Garrick and then continued out of the hangar, heading for the street to wave down a taxi.

"But Dash… I haven't brought any clothes with me. I don't have anything to change into." Kyler couldn't believe she had been so stupid to not bring a change of clothes with her. But then again, she hadn't expected to be gone so long. She thought they were just going to be away for a few hours, not several days.

"That's alright," Dash said, taking her hand. "I can go out and buy you something."

Kyler knew there was no point in arguing with him because Dash was the kind of person who would keep fighting until the other dropped it. He was too stubborn to sway. She sighed as Dash got the attention of a taxi driver and it pulled up in front of them. They climbed inside and Dash told the driver the address of the hotel.

It was a twenty minute taxi ride, filled with small talk with the driver and country music playing from the radio. Kyler stared out the dirty window, watching the city whirl by. Dash's hand rested comfortingly on her knee as he spoke with the driver. Kyler wasn't listening to their conversation. She wasn't interested in the trivial things they were discussing. She was thinking about her meeting with her father, which would be taking place in just a few short hours.

They finally arrive at a large hotel, which looked way too fancy for Kyler's taste. She and Dash got out of the cab and stepped inside of the building. They walked up to the front desk, where Dash signed them in. A bellhop came to their side and offered to show them to their room. The room Dash had gotten was on the fifth floor of the eight story hotel, number 531. It was large, complete with a kitchen area, huge bathroom, king-sized bed, big screen T.V., and a comfortable sofa. Kyler was blown away, both by the looks of the room and her estimation of what the price must have been.

After the bellhop left, Dash turned to Kyler and said, "Why don't you get into the shower, and I'll go out shopping. I'll be back before you finish."

"Now wait a minute," Kyler said, grabbing his arm so that he couldn't leave. "I want to know why you found it necessary to spend so much money on a hotel room. I would have been satisfied with something simple. Hell, I would have been satisfied with just sleeping on the plane again! Why go through all this trouble?"

Dash shrugged. "It wasn't any trouble, really. And I thought I might as well snatch this up since I can afford it. I thought you'd like it."

"I do like it," Kyler said with a sigh. "What I don't like is the fact that you are spending so much money on me. It makes me uncomfortable."

Dash gently patted her shoulder and smiled. "Well, don't let it. I promise, it's fine. Now get in the shower." He playfully pushed her to the bathroom and then slipped out of the room to shop.

Kyler sighed once again and then did as she was asked. She had to admit, taking a hot shower after being stuck in the plane for so many hours felt amazing. She hadn't realized how sore her muscles were until the hot water began helping them loosen up. When she was finished, she wrapped a large, fluffy red towel around herself.

"Dash?" she called softly as she shyly stepped out of the bathroom. She could hear the T.V. in the other room, so she called out Dash's name again. She didn't move any further than right outside of the bathroom door, not wanting to place herself, or Dash, in an awkward situation.

"I'm coming," Dash responded. She heard him shuffling around the other room, before his footsteps signaled him approaching. "I hope this is alright," he said, handing her a bag with the name of a store she'd never heard of printed on the front. "I can't say that I'm an expert at shopping for woman's clothing, but I've bought enough gifts for Violet and my mom to have a decent idea of what to get."

"I'm sure it's wonderful," Kyler replied, taking the bag and stepping back into the bathroom. "Thank you, Dash."

"No problem," he said with a smile. "Just let me know if you need anything else, alright?"

Kyler nodded and shut the bathroom door. She placed the bag on the sink and opened it up. Inside the bag were a hairbrush, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, a knee-length, navy blue summer dress, and a red box. Kyler brushed her hair and teeth, and applied her deodorant before slipping on the dress. It fit her perfectly, hugging her curves in all the right places. She turned and looked at herself in the full length mirror, unable to suppress a smile. She then turned her attention to the red box that had also been found in the bag. Inside of it was a small bottle of perfume. Kyler gasped when she realized that it was the perfume that she always wore.

"How did he know…?" she whispered to herself before spraying it on herself. Once she was satisfied with herself, she left the bathroom to join Dash on the couch.

"Wow, you look beautiful," Dash said as she sat down beside him. "I take it the dress fits then?"

"It fits perfectly," Kyler responded. "Thank you Dash…"

"No problem! I was going to get you some jewelry or make-up, but I wasn't sure what you would like. But, I think you look perfectly fine the way you are now, so I'm happy I didn't get anything else."

"You really shouldn't have gotten me any of this. I feel really bad… I promise I'll pay you back."

"Don't," Dash said, standing up to take his own shower. "It was my pleasure, I promise. Now, I'm going to go shower, then we'll get some lunch, and head off to see your dad. Sound good?"

"Sounds excellent," Kyler replied, smiling at him.

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!**_

_**Mew Painappuru**_


	15. Chapter 15

**_Samtastic, First, I want to say thank you for the compliments that you gave the previous chapter. Secondly, I certainly hope that the story doesn't become boring by any means, but that's why these reviews are so important. If it does start to become boring, I hope someone will speak up and let me know what I can do to make it better. However, I do plan on including a little Super action soon, so I hope that will keep your interest :)_**

Fifteen

Kyler and Dash enjoyed a simple lunch in a café across the street from the hotel. Dash bought a small cheese pizza, which they both shared. They didn't speak much while they ate, which Dash was fine with. He figured Kyler's mind was overfilling with thoughts of her father, and he didn't want to disturb her thinking. He could only imagine how hard this whole ordeal was on her. She was taking it well, but he was sure she was hurting terribly inside. Instead of making conversation, he enjoyed studying her as he contently ate his meal.

Her eyes were focused on the large lime green cup full of raspberry iced tea in front of her. She seemed to be concentrating on the condensation that was starting to form on the plastic cup, but Dash knew she was just zoning out, lost in her thoughts. Her face was soft and calm. Her bright eyes had a faraway look in them, which made Dash chuckle a bit. Kyler was slowly bringing her slice of pizza to her mouth and taking a tiny bite, as if on autopilot. Dash wondered if she even tasted the food.

When they were finished, they hailed another taxi and were on their way again. Just like the last ride, Kyler quietly stared out the window while Dash and the driver made small talk. Kyler blocked out most of the conversation and just watched the city slide by her window. The pizza she had eaten was sitting heavily in her stomach, making her feel a little nauseous. She noticed that her hands were shaking in her lap, so she started taking deep breaths to try and relax herself. This ride was longer than the previous one, lasting for a little over an hour. Kyler couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief when they finally reached their destination, for she had grown tired and restless from sitting in the vehicle.

Dash gripped Kyler's hand and offered her an encouraging smile before they entered the building in front of them. The two of them made their way up to the front desk, where Dash signed them in. He had to show them his ID and a few special government papers before he and Kyler were escorted beyond the lobby by a young woman named Dr. Nakata. The three of them walked down a long hallway that was lit by extremely bright white lights. Their shoes clacked loudly against the tile flooring and echoed through the hallway.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Mr. Parr?" Dr. Nakata asked when they stopped outside of a room. "He's been pretty well-behaved recently, but we can't promise that he won't lose it at the sight of you."

Dash turned and looked at Kyler. "It's up to you," he said. "I can stay out here if that's what you would prefer."

"No," Kyler said, squeezing his hand tightly and shaking her head. "No, I need you to come with me. I'm not ready to do this on my own."

Dr. Nakata nodded. "Very well. I'll be right out here if you need anything." She unlocked to door and pushed it open, allowing Dash and Kyler to go inside. Kyler walked in timidly, sticking close to Dash, and jumped slightly when the door shut behind them. The room was plain, with white walls, a white ceiling, and white flooring. There was very little furniture, only a bed, nightstand, dresser, and a small wooden chair. Lying on the floor beside the nightstand was a stack of paper. The sheet on top had a strange design on it that Dash didn't understand at all.

"Ah… New visitors…" a smooth voice spoke up. Sitting on the floor, in the middle of the room, was Buddy Pine. His back was facing Dash and Kyler and his eyes were closed. "Do come in and make yourself comfortable."

Dash couldn't help but get chills up his spine at the sight of the man he had known as Syndrome. This man had tried so hard to destroy his family and his home. And, for the longest time, Dash had believed that he was dead. It was so strange, and terrifying, to see him again. However, he kept his composure, knowing Kyler needed him to be strong for her. He led Kyler over to the chair, making her sit down. He chose to stand beside her.

"Aren't you curious?" Buddy asked, still not turning around to face them. "Don't you want to know how I knew you two weren't just another one of my doctors?" Dash wasn't sure whether or not he was supposed to answer, so he stayed silent. Buddy, however, took the silence as them waiting for the answer and continued. "I could tell by your footsteps. Isn't that amazing? I've learned to tell people apart by their footsteps. I can tell when it's my doctor, or the hospital examiner, or strangers, like you two." He chuckled. "It's fascinating what a person can teach himself to do when he had absolutely nothing to do." Buddy stood up and stretched his arms over his head, letting out a sigh as he did so. "But I am curious as to why you are here. I don't get guests. So why…" He turned around and as soon as his eyes met Kyler's, he stopped in the middle of his sentence.

Kyler could feel herself shaking as her father slowly began walking towards her. She hated to admit that she was scared of what her father would do to her, but she knew that Dash would never let anything happen to her. That's why he was there, after all. He was there to protect her.

"You… You're truly marvelous…" Buddy whispered once he was standing right in front of Kyler, staring at her. "God… The similarities… The point of your chin. Your thin frame." He reached out and stroked Kyler's blonde hair. "The softness of your hair. Would you smile for me, dear?" Kyler attempted a small smile, dropping it when Buddy nodded his head. "Oh yes… Even your smile, though I can tell it's forced… Even your footsteps resemble hers…It's all just like her." He grinned and took a step back from Kyler. "I can guarantee that no one else would ever notice such intricate details. Those little things that you inherited from your mother."

Kyler's eyes widened. She hadn't expected him to know who she was. She hadn't seen him for fifteen years! And, even when she did get to see him as a child, she didn't see him very often. He had always been so busy with his work that he didn't have much spare time to spend with his daughter. "How…"

"How could I not know who you are?" Buddy interrupted her. "You look exactly like me, after all." He chuckled. "But I would also never forget the face of my own daughter. I'm a terrible man, but I'm not that damn terrible. It's been too long, Kyler..."

Tears pooled in Kyler's bright eyes and she found herself speechless. What could she possibly say to this man? She hadn't seen him for fifteen years. She had ruined the greatest relationship she'd ever had to avenge him, only to find out that _he_ had been the bad guy all along. Her mother, the only other family member she had, committed suicide because of him. But, at the same time, he _was_ her father… He was the man who told her stories at night before she fell asleep. The man who had provided so much for her and her mother. He wasn't completely evil, that she was sure of, but that didn't make up for what he had done to hurt so many people in the past. Kyler couldn't sort through these mixed feelings, so all she did was stare at her father with misty eyes.

Buddy looked up at Dash and his mouth twisted into an amused smirk. "Don't think for a second that I don't recognize you either. You're Mr. Incredible's boy. What was your name…? Dashiell, right?" He chuckled. "Of all the places in the world you could visit, why in the hell would you choose to come here and see me?" He raised his eyebrows at the blonde man and placed his left hand on Kyler's shoulder. "But, of course, I know that answer to that question as well. It's written all over your face. You're here because of Kyler… How precious…" He tightened his grip on Kyler's shoulder, making her let out a small whimper of pain. Dash moved to help her, but Buddy held up his hand to him. "Don't move," he hissed. "Trust me, you'll regret it if you do."

"What could you possibly do?" Dash snapped. "You're in a damn mental facility! It's not like you have possession of any weapons. You're defenseless against me."

"You dare doubt me?" Buddy jeered. "Could it be that you forgot how resourceful I really am? Don't ever test my abilities. It might get you, or someone else, killed." He pulled back the sleeve on his left hand to reveal a knife, which was strapped to his arm. He grinned wickedly at Dash and Kyler gasped.

Dash's eyes widened. He couldn't imagine how Buddy managed to obtain the knife while under the watch of the facility, but that wasn't his main concern at the moment. He had to protect Kyler. "You wouldn't kill your own daughter, would you?" Dash asked.

"Want to find out?" Buddy replied, his eyes glinting and his smirk broadening. He removed the knife from the leather straps and swiftly held the blade against Kyler's neck.

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!**_

_**Mew Painappuru**_


	16. Chapter 16

**_Wolvie'sBiggestFan, What can I say? The man is crazy... Rhonda Petrie, I don't put anything past Syndrome. He's pretty insane. I'm happy to hear you're enjoying it! Thanks for your support! Samtastic, That is a really great idea. I'll see what I can do! :)_**

Sixteen

"Mom? Where's Dash? He's been gone a few days now…" Jack-Jack asked before shoving a forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth.

Helen's eyes shifted and she glanced at Bob. He looked a little irritated that the subject had been brought up, but he didn't say anything. He just continued to eat in silence. Just like she had protected, Bob had been furious that he wasn't told of Dash's plans. He was even mad at Helen for a while because she had let him go, but he eventually got over it. He wasn't too angry now, just a little bitter. "Dash has a very important trip that he had to take and some business to take care of. He should be back in a few days," she said to her son with a small smile on her face.

"You don't look very happy," Jack-Jack pointed out. "Is everything alright?"

"Of course!" Helen said in faux cheerfulness. However, in reality, she was worrying about Dash. She had expected him home already. She was under the impression that Dash had gone to meet up with Kyler, tell her what had happened to her parents and tell her that he forgave her for what she had done, and then come back home. But they were nearing the end of the third day since of absence… She glanced at Bob again, sending him a silent message that they needed to talk later. Bob caught her eye and subtly nodded, letting her know he understood.

Helen and Bob were sitting in the living room on the couch. Jack-Jack had gone out to spend some time with a few of his friends. Bob had his arm around Helen, who had her head resting on his chest. There was slight tension between the two of them, but they ignored it for the sake of their oldest son. They needed to figure out what to do about him bring gone for so long.

"Do you think we should try calling his cellphone?" Helen asked her husband. She was trying so hard to think of something to do, but she was clueless. She didn't even know where he was, or if he was alright.

"There isn't really much else we _can_ do, is there?" Bob replied with a small shrug. He didn't mean to come off sounding as if he didn't care, but he was trying to stay calm and strong for Helen's sake. They couldn't both be nervous wrecks; otherwise, nothing would get done.

"I really don't know, Bob," she said sadly. "I don't want him to think that we're treating him like a child though. Do you think he'll be upset with us if we call to check up on him?"

"I think you're overthinking this," Bob responded honestly. "Dash will understand if you just tell him that you were worried about him. Go ahead and give him a call. It'll be fine."

"I suppose you're right," Helen sighed. "Alright then… I'll call him…" She pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and dialed Dash's number. She put the phone on speaker so that her husband could hear as well. However, his phone rang several times before going to his voicemail. Helen's anxiety only increased from her son's failure to answer his phone. She turned and looked at Bob with wide, uneasy eyes. "Something's not right," she said seriously.

"Helen, you can't just jump to conclusions like that," Bob said, trying to reason with her, but she wasn't listening.

Helen quickly dialed another number into her phone and brought the phone to her ear. She waited just a few seconds before someone answered. "Rick?" she asked. "Hi, Rick, it's Helen Parr. Yes, it's nice to talk to you too. Listen, I have a bit of a problem on my hands, and I really need your help. So, you _have_ talked to Dash recently? How recently? I see… In that case, can you please tell me what plans he arranged with you and where he might be right now? I didn't expect him to be gone this long and I can't reach him. I'm a worried about him." Helen's eyes enlarged as the person on the other end continued to talk. Bob could see her hands start to shake and he shot her a questioning glance, which she ignored. "Thank you so much, Rick. You've been a huge help. Yes, we'll definitely be in touch. Thanks again. Bye."

"What's going on?" Bob asked, noticing how shook up his wife seemed to be.

"That was Rick Dicker on the phone. I asked him about Dash's plans and… He thinks that Dash might be in danger as well if he's not answering the phone."

"Why? What is Dash doing?"

"He took Kyler to meet her father. Syndrome wasn't killed like we thought he was," Helen explained. "He's been in a government mental facility since he recovered from his injury caused by the plane engine, and that's where Dash and Kyler went."

"Well, if it's a government facility, how could they possibly be in trouble? Shouldn't that be the safest place for them?" Bob debated.

"I don't know, Bob!" Helen cried out exasperatedly. "But something just doesn't seem right to me, and I think that we need to get over there to find out what is going on. I don't want something happening to Dash and Kyler."

"Alright… Alright… Calm down," Bob consoled, grabbing her hand and squeezing it gently. "If you're really that worried about them, then we can go over there and make sure that they're alright. I'm sure Rick can set something up for us that will get us over to the hospital."

"We need to leave now," Helen said, swiftly standing up from the couch. "If we want to get there before anything happens, we don't have any time to lose."

"I'm coming with you guys," Jack-Jack said, appearing in the living room.

"Jack-Jack…" Helen said, not expecting to see him.

"I heard everything," the teen explained, crossing his arms across his chest and a serious look spread over his face. "I want to go with you to help Dash. I'm not staying behind."

"J, this doesn't concern you," Bob said, trying to reason with his son. "I'm sure everything is fine and nothing is wrong with Dash. We're just going to check up on him."

"Of course this concerns me!" Jack-Jack argued. "Dash is my brother and I want to make sure he's safe just as much as you do! I'm telling you, there's no way I'm staying behind! If you don't take me with you, I'll find a way to get there myself. I'll have Violet take me or something."

"No!" Helen cried out suddenly. "No… Don't get Violet involved," she said in a much quieter voice. She didn't want Violet to get mixed up in anything that could put her and the unborn baby in danger. The rest of his family still didn't know that she was pregnant, so she didn't want to ruin the surprise, but she couldn't let Jack-Jack bring his sister into the situation. "Just… Just let him come with us, Bob," she said. "If it's no big deal, like you so strongly believe, then there will be no problem if he tags along."

Bob sighed, realizing that he wasn't going to be able to argue with her and Jack-Jack. "Fine," he muttered. "But if something _does _go wrong, then you better listen to us if we tell you to leave, do you understand me?" Jack-Jack nodded and Bob ran his fingers through his thin gray hair. "Alright... Let's get going then…"

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!**_

_**Mew Painappuru**_


	17. Chapter 17

Seventeen

Kyler's electric blue eyes were wide with fear and her body was trembling slightly. She looked at Dash from the corners of her eyes, silently pleading with him to help her. Dash felt frozen in place. He had no idea what he could do without putting Kyler at risk. He would never forgive himself if Kyler got hurt because he did something drastic. He tried to avoid Kyler's desperate gaze, feeling guilty that he couldn't help her. He turned and faced Buddy.

"What is it that you want?" Dash asked, at the point where he was willing to do almost anything to help Kyler.

"What do you think?" Buddy replied, his eyes flashing and his voice a low rumble. "I want out. I've been in here far too long."

Dash shook his head. "I can't do that," he said. "I have no authorization."

"Maybe not on your own," he said, "but with _her_ help, you'll certainly be able to. She's my immediate family, and you're here on business under Rick Dicker, am I right? That will be plenty to convince the people here to turn me over to you."

Dash shook his head again. "No way. I'm not helping you sneak out of here so that you can cause chaos and hurt innocent people again. You're in here for a reason and I'm not about to put others at risk so that _you_ can be happy."

Buddy raised an eyebrow at the blonde. "Oh really?" he said and put more pressure on the knife against Kyler's neck. Kyler hissed in pain and a thin trail of blood spilled down onto the blade. "You see, I think that you _will_ help me out. I can see in your eyes that you don't want anything to happen to Kyler and you'll do anything to keep her safe. So, I suggest you do as I say, or more of her precious blood will spill."

Dash looked at Kyler. Her blue eyes were narrowed in anger, gaze focused on her father, and tears slipped down her cheeks. She had been surprisingly silent through this whole ordeal and he wished that he knew what was going through her mind. He sighed sadly and looked back at Buddy. "Fine," he said in defeat. "But get that damn knife away from Kyler. If you hurt her any more than you already have, the deal is off. As long as she's safe, I'll help you."

Buddy shrugged and removed the knife, wiping the blade on his pants to clean off the blood. "Fine. Take her." He grabbed Kyler's arm and pulled her off the chair, flinging her in Dash's direction.

Dash opened his arms and caught her, holding her tightly against his chest. He could feel her body shaking and her tears soaking through his shirt. "I'm so sorry…" he whispered to her. His chest was tight with guilt. He'd never thought that this would happen. He had simply wanted Kyler to come to terms with her father, and it had completely backfired on him. He should have just left her alone after she had let his family go free. Then she would have eventually forgotten about him and led a happy life. Dash cursed himself for forcing his way back into her life.

"You might want to clean up that cut," Buddy said casually, slipping the knife back into the leather strap under his sleeve. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, keeping his eyes locked on Dash and Kyler. "The nurses will probably become concerned and get suspicious if they see that you're hurt."

Dash glared at the man, unable to believe he could be so callous when it came to his daughter's wellbeing. Did he have _no_ paternal instincts whatsoever? He led Kyler over to the bed and sat her down so he could examine the cut on her neck. He tilted her head back, exposing the angry red line across her throat. "Do you have anything I could clean this with?" Dash asked Buddy.

Buddy sighed irritably, as if he were being inconvenienced. He made his way over to the dresser and pulled out a white cotton T-shirt. He shredded the shirt into several long strips and handed them to Dash, along with a water bottle that was sitting on the nightstand. "That's all I've got," he said bitterly.

Dash took it without thanking him and began wetting one of the strips. Then it gently wiped away the blood that was already started to dry on Kyler's neck. He apologized in a soft voice when Kyler flinched in pain, but didn't stop until the wound was clean. The cut wasn't deep at all and would heal fairly quickly. Dash doubted it would even leave a scar. He helped Kyler to her feet and handed her the jacket he was wearing. "Put this one and zip it up all the way. The collar is fairly high and should hide the cut."

"You're really going to go through with all of this?" Kyler asked incredulously, her eyes wide and disbelieving. She ignored his offering of the jacket. It was clear to her now that Dash had been right about her father all along, and she couldn't stay silent any longer. "You're just going to let him run off and do whatever the hell he feels like doing, even though it might put other people at risk?" Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Buddy smirking, clearly pleased with the fact that they were arguing.

"If it means that you'll be safe, then yes," Dash replied simply, shoving the jacket into her arms so she would put it on.

"You're going to endanger an unknown number of lives just to save mine?" Her voice was nearly shrill. She couldn't believe that he was going through with this. It was against everything he believed in. "You're a Super!" she reminded him angrily. "You're supposed to help people!"

"I'm helping _you_!" he retorted. "I'm keeping you alive!"

"But at what cost?" she pressed, trying to make him understand where she was coming from. She wasn't comfortable putting herself before countless innocent people. She didn't want anyone to get hurt because she was too scared to accept death and face her father.

But Dash didn't seem to care. He was more worried with Kyler's wellbeing than the chaos that Buddy could create if he were freed. He stared into Kyler's icy blue eyes, mentally telling her to just give the argument up. "Just put on the jacket so we can go," he said frigidly. Then he turned to Buddy. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.

Buddy shrugged and smiled shrewdly at the other man. "I'm ready whenever you two are," he replied.

"Good," Dash said with a curt nod. "Let's get out of here then." He made his way over to the door and pulled it open, motioning for them to follow him.

Kyler sent him one more pleading stare, but when he ignored it, she slipped on the jacket and zipped it up so that her injury couldn't be seen. She and Buddy followed Dash out of the room and down the hall. As they walked, passing nurses and patients gave the three of them puzzled glances. Dash simply kept his gaze forward and ignored them. Buddy sneered, soaking up the moments leading up to his freedom. And Kyler stared at the ground, her guilt making her unable to meet anyone's eyes.

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!**_

_**Mew Painappuru**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**First, I want to apologize for not updating in forever. I've become busy with other things and my stories are sort of suffering for that. So, anyone who has stuck with this story, thank you very much. It really means the world to me. Secondly, my inspiration for this story is slowly dying so, sadly, I don't know if it will continue after this. I really want it to, trust me. I had it all planned out, but... I don't know. The words just aren't flowing as well as they should be. That being said, I apologize if this chapter doesn't measure up to past chapters. Once again though, thank you for all of your support. You guys are awesome. Samtastic, Dash wasn't wiling to take any risks, which is why he did as he was told. With Kyler's life on the line, he didn't want to do anything drastic that might end up hurting her. Andy Nonomous, Love your name, first of all... x3 And, if this story goes any further, I have plans for the rest of the Paar family, so they aren't going to show up just yet... But thank you for your suggestion and for reading! **_

Eighteen

It had been far from easy to convince the nurses to release Buddy from the hospital and turn him over to Dash and Kyler. Dash and the woman working the front desk fought for a little over an hour over whether or not they had the authorization to decide when Buddy was allowed to leave. For the most part, Kyler had stayed quiet. She only spoke when it was necessary to fill in and look up her personal information. When they were able to confirm that she was, in fact, Buddy's daughter, they turned to Dash to ask him if she was fit to be made responsible of the man. Buddy vouched for Kyler and presented his credentials, proving that he was on business under the command of Rick Dicker. In the end, the woman hadn't been pleased, but she released Buddy to them and allowed them to leave.

During the taxi ride back to the hotel, no one spoke. The air was thick with tension and apprehension. Buddy sat between Kyler and Dash, a satisfied smirk painted on his face. Dash and Kyler both looked out the window, unable to meet each other's eyes. Dash's chest was tight and he was angrily chewing on the inside of his left cheek. He was racked with guilt and his head was pounding. He had screwed up big time and he knew it. All he had wanted to do was give Kyler closure with her parents and he ended up making her a player in another one of Buddy's cruel games. He was infuriated with himself and with Buddy.

Kyler's hands were still shaking, but she couldn't tell if it was from fear, anger, or both. She couldn't believe that Dash had gone through with this plan. She would have willingly sacrificed herself to save a bunch of innocent people from whatever plan Buddy was thinking up. She wanted to make herself believe that the man beside her _didn't_ have any sinister plans running through his mind and he was just simply desperate to return to the world outside of the hospital. However, she knew that was just wishful thinking. She felt tears sting at her eyes and she clenched her teeth to prevent a sob from escaping.

When they arrived at the hotel, Dash paid for a second room. It wasn't as lavish and comfortable as the first one, but he didn't mind. Dash told Kyler that she could stay in the first room and he would stay in the second with Buddy. They would leave on the plane in the morning to return back home. Kyler didn't protest. She was too shattered to fight any more. She retreated to her room without as much as a "Good night," and left Dash and Buddy alone.

"It's not necessarily fair for Kyler to get her own room, is it?" Buddy asked, sounding much like a child. "And doesn't it make you feel uncomfortable to share a room with another man? I don't see why I can't have my own room as well."

"I don't trust you to have your own room," Dash snapped, refusing to meet Buddy's eyes. "You're staying in a room with me so that I can keep an eye on you. Besides, I can't afford a third room. Just be happy you're not sleeping on a plane tonight." His voice was a low, angry growl, daring Buddy to keep complaining.

Buddy let out a frustrated sigh, but he didn't say anything else. He quietly followed Dash to the room that they would share. It was a lot smaller than the first room and contained only a twin sized bed, a small set of drawers, a loveseat, a T.V., and a small bathroom area. Buddy commented on how compact it was before flopping onto the bed and an exhausted groan. Dash just rolled his eyes and sat down on the loveseat, trying to ignore the other man as much as possible. Neither of them said anything, and soon, snores could be heard from Buddy.

Dash glanced over at him before slipping his cellphone out of his pocket. He quickly began composing an email to Rick Dicker, explaining the situation they were in. However, just before he could press send, a sharp pain hit his shoulder and he dropped his phone on the floor. He let out a hiss of pain and looked over to see what had caused the sudden agony. He let out a small gasp at the sight of a knife sticking out of his shoulder and Buddy sitting up in bed, smirking.

"Did you really think it would be that easy to send me back there?" Buddy asked, amusement apparent in his tone. "You thought that you would just wait until I was asleep and then you would call one of your government pals for help? Oh no… I don't think so." He slid off the bed and starting walking towards Dash, shaking his head slowly. "I'm not stupid, Dashiell," he said, his voice a low, threatening growl. "And you'll do best not to underestimate me. Otherwise, you're going to get someone killed." With the last word, Buddy yanked the knife out of Dash's shoulder, wiping it off on the younger man's shirt and then slipping it back into the pouch on his arm. "Come on… I know you're smarter than this. Impress me…" He turned around and went back to the bed, lying down with his back facing Dash.

Dash was speechless, one hand covering the wound on his shoulder. He knew that he needed to treat it, but he couldn't leave Buddy alone, so he simply took off his shirt and pressed it against the injury to stop the blood. He would worry about disinfecting and dressing it later. Right now, he needed to figure out what he was going to do with his unwelcome guest…

**_Once again, thank you for everything. Hopefully, I can get my creative juices flowing again and work on this story some more. _**_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!**_

_**Mew Painappuru**_


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